What is the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, and how it is transmitted?
Influenza A (H5N1) virus — also called “H5N1 virus” — is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly to them. Outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1 occurred among poultry in eight countries in Asia (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam) during late 2003 and early 2004. At that time, more than 100 million birds in the affected countries either died from the disease or were killed in order to try to control the outbreaks. By March 2004, the outbreak was reported to be under control. Beginning in June 2004, however, new outbreaks of influenza H5N1 among poultry and wild birds were reported in Asia. Since that time, the virus has spread geographically. Reports of H5N1 infection in wild birds in Europe began in mid-2005. In early 2006, influenza A H5N1 infection in wild birds and poultry were reported in Africa and the Near East. Human cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection have been report
Related Questions
- If a bird is suspected or confirmed to have highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infection, is the staff that handled the bird at risk?
- Is there any risk of becoming infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus by feeding backyard birds or cleaning a bird feeder?
- What testing is available for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infection, and how reliable is it?
