Alert About A New Outbreak Of Avian Flu
Also known as bird flu, bird flu is a highly contagious, infectious and viral disease. For this reason, the UN alert about the possibility of a new outbreak of bird flu has alarmed international health authorities.
What animals can bird flu affect?
Avian influenza can affect various species of birds and mammals, including companion animals, farm animals, and humans; it is also highly contagious.
The causative agent of this disease are the H5 and H7 subtypes of the virus Influenza belonging to the genre. These microorganisms affect gallinaceous birds with particular ease; therefore, bird flu is also known as ‘chicken disease’.
The first official report of this disease happened in Italy in the middle of the 20th century, and it spread rapidly throughout the planet. Due to its lethality and high risk of contamination, it is considered an alarming zoonosis by Public Health.
How is the spread of bird flu?
The transmission of avian influenza is very intense on farms and fields dedicated to raising poultry. Infected birds shed the virus through their respiratory fluids and also through their feces.
However, these pathogens can also easily spread through the air. Likewise, contact with contaminated objects, food or liquids can also constitute a form of contagion of bird flu.
How does bird flu affect humans?
In theory, bird flu shouldn’t infect humans. Cases diagnosed in people occur from abnormal and unpredictable mutations of some subtypes of viruses of the Influenza family .
The first cases of bird flu in humans were diagnosed in 1997 in Hong Kong. At this time, the only way to control a possible pandemic was to slaughter millions of domestic birds.
However, this measure was urgent and palliative, since it is not possible to extinguish pathogens or control their mutations. For this reason, international health authorities remain alert for the possibility of a new outbreak of bird flu. According to data provided by the WHO in 2011, bird flu had already affected more than 560 people since 2003, and approximately 310 deaths were recorded.
Symptoms of Avian Flu in Humans
The first symptoms of bird flu in humans are usually similar to the classic signs of a simple flu, such as:
- Muscle pains
- Fever
- Cough
- Discomfort, pain, or swelling in the throat
- Excessive tiredness or lack of energy
However, as the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and the risk of developing a severe respiratory problem, such as pneumonia, increases.
It should be noted that the symptoms of bird flu progress rapidly, which can lead to a general decline in the patient’s health within a few days. Therefore, it is essential to go to the hospital or health center when detecting any symptoms already mentioned.
The UN alert about a new outbreak of bird flu in the world
Since 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) has maintained a kind of preventive alert for a possible bird flu pandemic. This could happen due to the risks generated by the high migration of the H5N1 serotypes of the influenza virus to all continents.
However, a recent UN alert about the possibility of a new outbreak of bird flu has alarmed international authorities. According to the United Nations Food Organization (FAO), a highly pathogenic variant of the H5N1 virus proliferates rapidly in Asian countries.
Currently, the health authorities and veterinary services in Vietnam are on alert for this abnormal mutation, which represents an “unpredictable risk to human health”, as stated by FAO.
In addition to putting the local population at risk, a new outbreak of bird flu in Vietnam would also rapidly affect Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand. If its proliferation is controlled, it could also reach the Korean peninsula and Japan.
The FAO also states that countries where the H5N1 virus is already firmly established could face more severe consequences on the health of their populations. This is the case of China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Egypt, which must be especially vigilant for a new outbreak of bird flu.
