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Avian flu (bird flu)

Published by Bupa's health information team, June 2008.

This factsheet is for people who would like information about avian flu.

Avian flu (also known as bird flu) is a form of influenza that affects birds. Scientists are worried that the bird flu virus could merge with a human flu virus. This might result in a new, more serious flu virus that could be passed quickly from person to person.

About avian flu (bird flu)

'Avian' refers to birds and 'flu' is the common name for influenza. Some countries (particularly in Asia) have been affected by bird flu infecting their poultry stocks, and a small number of people have caught the bird flu virus from being in close contact with infected chickens.

There have only been a small number of incidents of bird flu in the UK where it has been found in poultry and a couple of wild birds. All cases of bird flu in the UK have been well controlled and there have been no cases of human illness associated with any incidents.

Causes of bird flu

When a bird is infected with bird flu, it sheds the flu virus in its faeces. Other birds then become infected by inhaling or eating the virus. The virus can also infect you if you inhale dried faeces that has become trampled into the dust or stuck to the feathers or other parts of the body of the infected bird. You are usually infected with bird flu when preparing poultry for cooking rather than by eating it.

Given the small numbers of cases of bird flu in people, in relation to the huge number of birds affected, it isn't thought that the virus is easily transmitted from bird to human.

Bird flu is caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. Type A strains can infect people, birds and animals (wild birds are natural hosts for these viruses), and can potentially cause epidemics and pandemics. An epidemic is a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. A pandemic is an epidemic that strikes a very wide area and is sometimes world-wide.

The different types of influenza A strains are named based on two proteins on the surface of the virus called H and N. The H5N1 type produces a severe disease in birds and almost always kills them.

Bird flu doesn't just affect domestic poultry - it also infects wild birds, including migratory birds such as wild ducks and geese. It can also infect pigs, although this is less common.

There is no evidence to suggest that the virus could be passed to you from eating raw meat or eggs. However, the European Food Safety Authority advises that cooking food properly will destroy the bird flu virus and remove this potential risk.

Scientists still haven't confirmed whether bird flu is passed between people. There are signs that bird flu might have been passed between a few people, but it isn't spreading easily between humans.

There have been a number of cases where a person with bird flu might have infected a close family member. It seems that bird flu is only passed between people if they are in very close contact with each other. However, it's difficult to tell if human-to-human transmission has occurred since the family members are exposed to the same animal and environmental sources as well as to one another.

Symptoms of bird flu

The initial symptoms of bird flu in humans are very similar to other types of flu and include:

It usually takes three to seven days for the symptoms to develop.

More severe infections can lead to life-threatening complications including:

It's not yet understood why some people recover fully and others die.

Diagnosis of bird flu

In the UK there have been no reports of human exposure to bird flu. It's extremely unlikely unless you have been exposed to infected poultry or wild birds in countries that have outbreaks of bird flu.

If you have been in contact with infected poultry or birds, and are concerned about bird flu, contact your GP for advice. He or she will examine you and ask you about your symptoms. Your GP may take a swab from your nose and throat. These samples will be sent to a laboratory to be examined.

Also tell your GP which countries or regions you have recently visited and if you have been exposed to dead or unwell birds.

Treatment of bird flu

It's possible that antiviral medicines used to treat other types of flu may be effective in treating bird flu in humans. There is currently no vaccine to prevent bird flu in humans. Scientists are working on developing a vaccine, but it's difficult because the virus frequently mutates (changes).

Medicines

The following antiviral medicines can reduce the severity of ordinary flu:

If the medicines are administered early (within two days of symptoms starting) they should help to improve the chances of recovery in people who get bird flu.

Vaccines

Currently available vaccines won't protect you against bird flu as they are not effective against the H5N1 strain of the virus. Although existing vaccines don't work against the H5N1 virus, they are being used to prevent poultry workers in affected countries from getting ordinary human flu. This reduces the risk that someone might catch human and bird flu at the same time, which would give the viruses the opportunity to merge and create a new virus capable of causing a pandemic.

Prevention of bird flu

It's possible that bird flu could spread across countries by:

Countries around the world are taking a number of measures to prevent the spread of bird flu. These are explained below.

Eradicating bird flu

In the countries that have been affected by bird flu, there are measures to contain the virus by increasing security and containment around infected poultry stocks, as well as culling them if it is thought to be necessary. By removing the potential for the virus to spread through the countries' bird populations, it's hoped that the virus will be contained and removed from circulation.

Banning imports

The European Union has banned imports of poultry from countries that are affected by bird flu outbreaks.

It has also banned the import of captive live birds from any country that isn't a member of the European Community.

Advice for travellers to affected countries

The advice for travellers to affected countries is to:

Further information

Related topics

Sources

This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Dr W H Simpson, MBBS, General Practitioner, and by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Publication date: June 2008.