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Avian Influenza / Bird Flu

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General Info About Avian Influenza / Bird Flu

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Bird flu (avian influenza/avian flu) is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds.

Avian Influenza / Bird Flu

Bird flu is a fatal disease of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, and other avian species, especially migratory waterfowl. Thisvirus that causes the bird infection can mutate to infect humans.

It is a contagious disease and spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets while coughing and sneezing. The flu is different from a cold and the symptoms can vary from a mild disease with little or no mortality to a highly fatal, rapidly spreading epidemic depending on the infecting virus strain, host factors and environmental stressors.

Anyone including healthy people can contact avian flu, and serious problems from influenza may appear at any age. People at risk for developing bird flu are -

Farmers and other poultry workers

Travelers visiting affected countries

Those who eat raw or undercooked poultry meat, eggs, or blood from infected birds

Fever, headache, body ache, sore throat, nasal congestion and dry cough are some of the symptoms of bird flu. Treatment of bird flu involves isolation of the patient and taking the antiviral medication, oseltamivir.
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Posted by:  johnexo  Posted on: 02/15/2011
Symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms [fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches] to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress syndrome). http://www.biblehealth.com



Posted by:  Rajay86  Posted on: 08/19/2010
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