Bird flu
Influenza
While an annoyance to most healthy people, the flu is a particularly dangerous to some. The elderly, the very young, and those with existing lung or heart problems are some of the more at-risk groups. The NHS has set up a programme of yearly flu jabs for those at risk to help against seasonal flu.
In recent years two strains of flu have been in the media spotlight: Avian flu and Swine flu. The reason Swine flu made media coverage was because it was descended from the virus which caused the 1918 outbreak of Spanish flu which killed millions of people. However the virus lacked the ferocity found in the 1918 outbreak or in other strains like Avian Flu. In August 2010, the World Health Organisation officially declared the Swine flu pandemic over.
Avian Flu
Avian Flu or H5N1 is the viral disease of birds often with no apparent symptoms. Strains of the virus have been known to cross species, infecting humans and other mammals such as cats. The virus is highly aggressive with a higher mortality rate than that of seasonal influenza. The primary risk factors for human infection are direct or in-direct contact with infected live or dead birds, mostly poultry, and with a contaminated environment.
The H5N1 virus has pandemic potential meaning it can infect a large population of the world. This is because the disease is still circulating in poultry populations and humans have little or no immunity to it . Should the virus mutate to a form where human to human transmission is possible, it could have disastrous consequences. In our modern, connected world, a localised epidemic can quickly turn into a pandemic with little time for authorities to prepare.
The symptoms of avian flu are similar to other strains of flu. If you have visited an affected area or been in some form of contact with birds and experience the following symptoms; sudden fever (a temperature of 38°C/100.4°F or above), dry/chesty cough, headache, tiredness, chills, aching muscles, limb or joint pain, diarrhea or stomach upset, sore throat, runny or blocked nose, sneezing, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping, seek medical attention.
Are you travelling to an affected country?
- Consult your usual healthcare provider for travel medical advice and further guidance if you have specific concerns
- Check our travel advice for the relevant country before travelling
- Avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you might come into contact with wild, domestic or caged birds
- Avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with animal faeces or fluids
- Avoid eating or handling raw and undercooked poultry, egg or duck dishes (normal cooking destroys the virus)
- Wash your hands regularly, especially before eating or preparing food
Contact with birds
It is important to wash your hands thoroughly after feeding wild birds or ducks. Do not go near sick or dead birds.
Call the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) helpline on 08459 33 55 77 if you find one or more dead wild swans, ducks or geese (wild fowl), three or more dead wild birds of the same species, or five or more dead birds of different species in the same place.
Keep away from bird droppings if possible and wash your hands thoroughly if you accidentally touch some.
General Precautions.
- Turn away from other people and cover your mouth with tissues when you cough or sneeze.
- Put the tissues in the bin straight away after use and wash your hands with soap and warm water.
- Do not go to public places if you are ill and avoid contact with children or people with underlying illnesses.
- When you go to a GP surgery, tell the receptionist about your symptoms so you can be seated away from other people and given a surgical mask if necessary
- Make sure you have had any recommended vaccinations, such as the pneumococcal vaccination and seasonal flu vaccine if you are in a high-risk group (for example, if you have asthma or are over 65).
Email this pageLast modified by: Webmaster on 26/09/2011