What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza, or “bird flu”, is a contagious disease caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. On rare occasions, avian influenzas have crossed the species barrier to infect humans. In domestic poultry, avian influenza causes two main forms of disease. The so-called “low pathogenic” form commonly causes mild symptoms (ruffled feathers, a drop in egg production) and may go undetected. The highly pathogenic form is far more dramatic. It spreads rapidly through poultry flocks and has a mortality that can approach 100%, often within 48 hours.
Avian influenza is a contagious infection caused by a virus that can affect all species of birds and, less commonly, mammals. Wild waterfowl naturally carry these viruses and can be responsible for the introduction of infection into domestic poultry. Mutation of these viruses in poultry may result in strains that are capable of causing a wide range of illness, from no symptoms to a severe epidemic that kills up to 100 percent of infected birds.
Avian influenza (aka avian flu) is a virus that infects wild birds, such as ducks and geese, and domesticated birds, such as chickens and turkeys. There are strains of avian flu that infect birds every year in the U.S. and around the world. Most of these strains can kill birds but do not infect people.
Avian influenza, or “bird flu”, is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans. In domestic poultry, infection with avian influenza viruses causes two main forms of disease, distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence. The so-called “low pathogenic” form commonly causes only mild symptoms (ruffled feathers, a drop in egg production) and may easily go undetected. The highly pathogenic form is far more dramatic. It spreads very rapidly through poultry flocks, causes disease affecting multiple internal organs, and has a mortality that can approach 100%, often within 48 hours.
