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What is the difference between this bird flu and past bird flus?

April 26, 2017bird bird flu flus past

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What is the difference between this bird flu and past bird flus?

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Each year there are several strains of flu in wild bird populations just like there are several strains of human flu. The avian influenza virus currently circulating in Asia, Europe, and Africa is a highly pathogenic variety (HPAI) and is more contagious then the more common low pathogenic viruses (LPAI). This new strain of avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) has spread throughout a large geographic area since it was first documented in 1997 in Asia, and has caused the largest and most severe outbreaks in poultry on record. Unlike most avian influenza viruses, this new strain of H5N1 has caused mortality in over 80 species of wild birds. This virus has also infected non-avian species of wildlife and humans.