What is Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and how will it affect the United States?
A. Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. Similar to humans, birds can carry and transmit different strains of a flu virus. The current concerns are regarding a strain named avian influenza A (H5N1). This H5N1 flu has been found in Asia and Europe and has been found, though very rarely, to have the ability to infect humans. The current risk to Americans from the H5N1 flu outbreak in Asia and Europe is very low. The strain of H5N1 virus found in birds in Asia and Europe has not been found in birds in the United States. There have been no human cases of H5N1 flu in the United States. In the current outbreak, human cases of H5N1 flu have been reported in: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Even in countries with the outbreaks, the risk from bird flu is low because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry (domesticated chicken, ducks, turkeys), there is a po
