Home > Health A to Z > Bird Flu On Rise: 7 Facts You Need To Know

Bird Flu On Rise: 7 Facts You Need To Know

Dr. Sreelekha Daruvuri

2 Min Read

Bird flu has been reported in 4 states at 12 epicentres— Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala. According to the reports, almost 1 lakh birds have died under mysterious circumstances in Haryana whereas 1800 migratory birds were found dead in Haryana.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry has recently released a press statement giving directions to enforce culling in sick birds. Cases of bird flu have been confirmed in migratory birds in Himachal Pradesh, in crows in Rajasthan, and in poultry and duck in Kerala.

There are a lot of questions and confusion about what exactly is the bird flu or avian flu and whether it’s contagious or not. Here we have addressed all the facts related to this new disease.

It is caused by a virus

Bird flu or avian flu is a highly infectious disease caused by a type of influenza virus (H5N1). It causes severe respiratory disease in birds and can be transmitted to humans as well. However, human cases of bird flu occur occasionally.

Spreads via close contact with birds

H5N1 virus spreads to humans through close contact with infected live or dead birds. It can also spread via H5N1-contaminated environments. The mortality rate is 60% in humans. Keep in mind that the virus does not infect humans easily and spread from person to person is almost negligible

Watch out for symptoms

Early symptoms of avian flu include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, high fever, cough, muscle aches and sore throat. If undiagnosed, the infection may progress to severe respiratory issues such as pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and neurological changes like seizures.

Cook poultry products properly

It is safe to eat properly cooked poultry products. Experts say that the virus is sensitive to heat and can get killed at cooking temperatures (73.9-degrees Celsius) if present. It is important that you properly cook the meat ensuring best hygiene practices.

Follow good hygienic practices

It has been observed that a large number of H5N1 human infections have been linked to improper handling of diseased or dead birds prior to cooking. Such practices lead to the highest risk of human infection.

Intensive care may be required

If left undiagnosed, bird flu in humans can develop into a serious disease that may require intensive care at the hospital. The doctors usually prescribe the antiviral medicine oseltamivir and zanamivir to reduce the severity of illness.

Vaccine is present but not deployed

Vaccines for avian flu have been developed, but it is not ready for widespread use.

It can be concluded that bird flu spreads mainly from migratory birds coming into India during the winter months (September to October and February to March). Also, the secondary spread by human handling cannot be ruled out.

If you have any queries related to the avian flu or are experiencing flu-like symptoms, you can reach out to our doctors online on the MFine app.