Table of Contents
Is influenza A also known as bird flu?
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a type A influenza virus. It is lethal to poultry and is potentially fatal in humans. Bird flu spreads between both wild and domesticated birds.
What type of flu is influenza A?
Flu (influenza) viruses are divided into four broad categories: influenza A, B, C or D. Influenza A is the most common type. H1N1 flu is a subtype of influenza A. Subtypes of influenza A are categorized based on two proteins on the surface of the virus, hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N).
What is Type A flu called?
Wild birds are the natural hosts for a type A virus, also called avian flu and bird flu. This infection can also spread to other animals and humans. This, combined with the ability of type A influenza to mutate faster than type B, can cause pandemics.
Is bird flu a zoonotic disease?
Humans can be infected with zoonotic influenza viruses such as avian or swine influenza viruses.
Can humans contract bird flu?
4. How does avian flu spread in humans? It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission so far.
What are the 4 types of influenza?
There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease (known as flu season) almost every winter in the United States.
Why are epidemiologists particularly concerned about bird influenza viruses?
There is concern that avian influenza viruses that are known to have infected humans could change into a form easily spread from birds to humans and then from human to human. If this were to happen, what is known as an influenza pandemic could occur.
Is bird flu airborne?
The disease is transmitted via contact with an infected bird’s feces, or secretions from its nose, mouth or eyes. Open-air markets, where eggs and birds are sold in crowded and unsanitary conditions, are hotbeds of infection and can spread the disease into the wider community.
Is there a bird flu vaccine?
There is currently no vaccine available to the public. The government does have a supply of a vaccine for one type of H5N1 bird flu virus and could distribute it if there was an outbreak that spread easily from person to person.
What type of virus is the influenza virus?
There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease (known as flu season) almost every winter in the United States. Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics, i.e., global epidemics of flu disease.
How do I know if I have influenza A or B?
Symptoms of influenza A tend to be similar regardless of subtype. The most common are runny nose, sore throat, fever, chills, body aches, and fatigue. The main difference is their severity. Type A symptoms often come on stronger and sometimes result in hospitalization or even death.
How does Bird Flu effect humans?
When a person contracts bird flu, symptoms mimic human influenza complaints, including cough, muscle aches, fever, and sore throat, but the infection might worsen and cause pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and even death. In documented cases of human infection with H5N1, half of those infected have died.
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
Signs and symptoms of bird flu may begin within two to eight days of infection, depending on the type. In most cases, they resemble those of conventional influenza, including: Cough. Fever. Sore throat. Muscle aches. Headache. Shortness of breath.
Is bird flu a virus?
Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is a viral infection that can infect not only birds, but also humans and other animals. Most forms of the virus are restricted to birds. H5N1 is the most common form of bird flu.
What is the treatment for bird flu in humans?
Bird Flu Treatment. Bird flu in humans is typically treated with one of a few antiviral medications, including Tamiflu (oseltamivir), peramivir, and zanamivir, which reduce the viruses’ ability to replicate.