What type of environment does the avian flu virus need to survive?
Avian influenza needs birds to survive because the virus occurs naturally among birds. The H5N1 virus occurs mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly to them. The H5N1 virus does not usually infect people, but infections with these viruses have occurred in humans. Most of these cases have resulted from people having direct or close contact with H5N1 infected poultry or their feces.
