Can/Should I treat highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infection in my patients?
Top A: If an animal is observed to have clinical signs and a history of exposure to the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, treatment should not be initiated without first notifying appropriate federal and state authorities. If a poultry farm is affected, the premises and bird(s) should be immediately quarantined, and exposure to birds should be limited, until regulatory officials can respond or direct the veterinarian regarding an appropriate course of action. Currently, infected poultry are destroyed when H5N1 HPAI infection is confirmed. If the virus is identified in poultry, the remaining live birds in the flock or on the premises will likely need to be euthanatized because of the high risk of spread to other birds and flocks. Amidst concerns about preserving the effectiveness of human antiviral medications, on March 22, 2006, the FDA published a final rule prohibiting the extralabel use of adamantine and neuraminidase inhibitor classes of antiviral drugs in chicke
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