Be prepared for Avian Flu (H5N1)

What is Avian Flu (H5N1)?
Avian flu is a contagious disease caused by viruses that normally infect only birds. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans.

It is caused by a strain known as H5N1, which is highly contagious among birds and is the most deadly strain, which may have mutated into a form that can be passed on to humans causing severe illness and death. The common symptoms in humans are fever, sore throat, cough and may even develop conjunctivitis. Infected birds spread the flu virus to other birds through their saliva, nasal secretions and faces. So far, human cases have been blamed on direct contact with an infected bird, primarily chickens and their droppings.

How is Avian Flu passed on?
Avian influenza viruses circulate among birds worldwide. Certain birds, particularly water birds, act as hosts for influenza viruses by carrying the virus in their intestines and shedding it. Infected birds shed virus in saliva, nasal secretions, and faeces. Susceptible birds can become infected with avian influenza virus when they have contact with contaminated nasal, respiratory, or faecal material from infected birds.

The most common form of transmission is through infected faeces. It is not uncommon for wild birds to overfly an open air aviary and dropping infected faeces which aviary birds can ingest.
Most often, the wild birds that are host to the virus do not get sick, but they can spread influenza to other birds. Infection with certain avian influenza A viruses such as H5N1 can cause widespread disease and death among some species of domesticated birds.

Domesticated birds may become infected with the avian flu virus through direct contact with infected waterfowl or other infected poultry, or through contact with surfaces (such as dirt or cages) or materials (such as water or feed) that have been contaminated with virus. People, vehicles, and other inanimate objects such as cages can cause the spread of avian flu.

For more information, please read this article: AVIAN INFLUENZA by vet Alan Jones - this article is published with the permission of Alan Jones and The Parrot Society UK.