How have people gotten infected with the H5N1 virus?
Infected birds shed large numbers of virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Human illness has resulted from direct contact with birds and their feces or with environments contaminated with infected bird feces. In areas that have had human illness with the H5N1 virus it is fairly common to have chickens roaming free and potentially contaminating the environment. Children who play in a contaminated environment have been at risk of infection. In addition, because families often depend upon these birds for income and sustenance, they often butcher sick birds and consume them. Hand butchering sick birds exposes people to high levels of the virus. Sustained human to human spread of the H5N1 virus has not occurred. All human cases of H5N1 infections have been restricted to Asia.
Infected birds shed large numbers of virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Human illness has resulted from direct contact with birds and their feces or with environments contaminated with infected bird feces. In areas that have had human illness with the H5N1 virus it is fairly common to have chickens roaming free and potentially contaminating the environment. Children who play in a contaminated environment have been at risk of infection. In addition, because families often depend upon these birds for income and sustenance, they often butcher sick birds and consume them. Hand butchering sick birds exposes people to high levels of the virus. Sustained human-to-human spread of the H5N1 virus has not occurred. All human cases of H5N1 infections have been restricted to Asia and Africa.
