What is avian influenza?
. Avian influenza is a disease found among poultry. Avian Influenza viruses can infect chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks as well as a wide variety of other birds, including but not limited to migratory waterfowl. Each year, there is a flu season for birds just as there is for humans and, as with people, some forms of the flu are worse than others.Avian Influenza viruses can be classified into low pathogenicity and highly pathogenic forms based on the severity of the illness they cause in poultry. Most Avian Influenza strains are classified as low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) and cause few clinical signs in infected birds. In contrast, high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) causes a severe and extremely contagious illness and death among infected birds.
Avian influenza, or “bird flu”, is a contagious disease caused by influenza viruses that normally infect only birds, but occasionally also other animals. Domestic poultry is especially vulnerable to infections. It can cause large outbreaks associated with high mortality. In these instances the term “highly pathogenic avian influenza” (HPAI) is used. Outbreaks in poultry may spread rapidly.
More than 90 species of birds have been shown to be susceptible to avian influenza (AI), including wild and domestic chickens, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, quail, geese, and guinea fowl. Pet birds can contract AI, but since their contact with domestic and wild birds is minimal, their risk of getting infected with avian influenza is lower.
Avian influenza (also referred to as avian flu or bird flu) refers to type A strains of the influenza virus that infect birds. Avian flu occurs worldwide and was first identified over 100 years ago. Normally avian flu viruses don’t infect species other than birds and pigs. In 1997, however, the first documented human case of avian flu occurred in Hong Kong. Avian flu causes severe symptoms and can result in death.
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a group of viruses that affect wild and domestic birds. These viruses are only found in a small number of birds in the wild, usually waterfowl and shorebirds, and rarely cause disease in these birds. The viruses are transmitted in fecal droppings, saliva, and nasal discharges. In birds, most strains of the virus (identified with letters and numberse.g. H7N3) are low pathogenic avian influenza and cause mild symptoms. The virus currently of global concern is a strain of H5N1. This highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has resulted in severe illness and death in poultry. To date, this highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 avian influenza has not been detected in wild birds, domestic poultry, or humans in North America.
