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Bird flu or Avian Flu: 5 important facts you must know about

Bird flu or Avian Flu: 5 important facts you must know about

Did you know India was declared free from bird flu in 2017?

Written by Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti |Updated : January 3, 2018 2:25 PM IST

The scare of Avian influenza (commonly known as Bird flu) in Bangalore has gripped the state as reports have confirmed that at least one chicken was infected with H5N1 virus. This was the first case in the city after a gap of five years, when bird flu was last reported in the city. Although there have been no positive cases. as per the reports, the government issued a notification declaring the area of 1 km radius from the chicken centre as infected zone and the area within the 10-km radius as surveillance zone. Here's everything you need to know about bird flu.

#1. Did you know India was declared free from bird flu? But this news of bird flu in India comes as a shocker because according to a report dated 6th July 2017 by the Press Information Bureau India (PIB) has declared itself free from Avian Influenza (H5N8 and H5N1) from 6th June, 2017 and notified the same to OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). You can check the official website of PIB to know about the same.

#2. Avian influenza virus not only infects the birds and poultry but also infected humans. The virus has subtypes namely A(H5N1), A(H7N9), A(H5N8)and A(H9N2), of which type A H5N1 virus is one of the most pathogenic one. Also read bird flu can be transferred from person-to-person.

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#3. Bird flu in humans can be acquired either through direct contact with the infected animals or through contaminated environment. The majority of cases, reported so far, have been associated with direct or indirect contact with infected poultry, which is either dead or live. Hence, consumption of cooked meat (infected with the virus) also carried the risk of infection in humans.

#4. The incubation period for the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections in humans ranges from 2-5 days (however, in severe cases, it can range for 17 days). For infection with the A(H7N9) virus, the incubation period is 1-10 days. Hence, the symptoms of A(H5N1) infection include mild upper respiratory infections (fever and cough) to gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting) should not be ignored.

#5. The best and most effective way to prevent infection with avian influenza A virus is to avoid exposure with infected poultry (direct and close contact). Although antiviral drugs are used to treat influenza, it some cases it can also be used to prevent infection in people who have been exposed to the virus. Also read about your birth year can predict how likely you are to get seriously ill or die in outbreak of animal-origin influenza virus.

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