What is the difference between bird flu and swine flu?
Bird flu or Avian Influenza is the general term for a form of viral disease that affects birds. For years now the world heath community has been monitoring human infections of H5N1 and other related strains which were occasionally being passed from birds to humans. However, this strain never emerged with sustained human to human transmission. Avian Influenza can be further subdivided into highly pathogenic avian influenza and low pathogenic avian influenza. Unlike seasonal influenza, in which infection usually causes only mild respiratory symptoms in most people, H5N1 infection may follow an unusually aggressive clinical course, with rapid deterioration and high fatality. Primary viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure have been common among people who have become ill with H5N1 influenza. The swine flu, now renamed Influenza A (H1N1) has shown a rapid spread around the globe with human to human transmission occurring in multiple countries. As of now most cases outside of Mexico have be
