Bird flu symptoms in humans, cause, prevention, treatment, and more

Bird flu is also known as HPAI influenza virus H5N1. It is a deadly virus that is found in birds and can be transmitted to humans. It has claimed several lakhs of deaths globally and caused significant economic losses since its emergence in 1997 in Hong Kong, where it claimed the lives of 6 people in the beginning. The bird flu symptoms in birds vary from strain to strain, and not all variants can be transmitted to humans. Additionally, it does not spread from humans to humans. Yet, skepticism around it becoming a pandemic continues among scientists.

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We shall try to get an overview of the flu and its causes in the subsequent sections. We shall also see how bird flu effects on humans can be prevented or reduced.

What is bird flu?

Influenza A is a virus family found mainly in birds. It quickly infects birds and eventually leads to their death. Sometimes, birds can be carriers of the virus.

In humans, bird flu is caused by coming in contact with an infected bird. It has had several outbreaks and strains in the past decades but has not become a pandemic yet.

The avian influenza symptoms surface in the form of two proteins, namely hemagglutinin, and neuraminidase. Hitherto, 16 types of hemagglutinin variants and 9 types of neuraminidase variants have been known. The virus affects the respiratory system and its tracts, which is lethal for humans. 

These bird flu viruses have a propensity to genetically mutate. This happens gradually and slowly in antigenic drift or rapidly in an antigenic shift. The product of both processes is a new deadly variant. 

How does bird flu spread?

Bird flu can only spread from birds. Ducks and other wild birds are viewed as carriers of the virus. In humans, Bird flu is caused by various activities of these carriers. The virus is present in their intestines, which find its way out in the environment through feces. These birds spread the virus to domesticated birds. The virus can travel from one nation to another through migratory birds who travel seasonally. 

A sick bird can spread the virus through its saliva and mucus too. Since bird flu symptoms in birds are not easily noticed, the transmission becomes hard to prevent. A human can contact an infected bird and get infected by eating from unwashed hands.

Consuming the meat of infected birds, like chicken or duck, can facilitate bird flu transmission. There have been rare cases where a caregiver would fall sick after taking care of the patient, though. Nonetheless, scientists have not yet validated human-to-human contact as an answer to the question "how does bird flu spread?”

Bird flu symptoms

The symptoms depend on the subtype of the virus. However, some symptoms can be taken into cognizance to consult a doctor. 

- Bird flu symptoms in humans

• High fever, often more than 38 degrees, accompanied by vomiting.

• Diarrhea is accompanied by respiratory problems.

• Abdominal pain and nose bleed. 

• Pleuritic pain.

• Pneumonia and hemorrhage

- Bird flu symptoms in birds

The symptoms in the animals are:

• Diarrhea

• Breathing difficulties

•  Swelling in the head

However, these symptoms usually do not surface and the death comes rapidly and abruptly. Domestic birds usually are not natural carriers. 

Bird Flu prevention

Some preventive methods are:-

• They become so through coming in contact with other wild birds. Housing domestic birds carefully and ensuring no contact with wild birds

• Washing hands diligently after touching or handling your domesticated birds since it is hard to detect bird flu symptoms in birds.

• Avoid consuming the meat of birds whenever an outbreak is reported.

• Avoid eating raw meat and raw eggs at all costs.

• Make sure that you buy meat from hygienic supply chains only.

• Astute vaccination drives to boost immunity against the fatality of the virus is another way.

Treatment of Bird Flu

The treatment of the virus varies across the variants. Mostly, antiviral medications Tamiflu and Relenza must be given within 2 days of the appearance of the symptoms. Medical advisory from the doctor is compulsory for the treatment of avian influenza symptoms.

The patient must be admitted to the hospital and given proper respiratory support when the symptoms become severe.

Fun Facts

A profoundly brutal method of bird flu prevention is culling. It is a process where chickens and potentially harmful poultry birds are mass slaughtered and buried in the land. The locations of the cause of the flu are identified to carry out the process. In 1997, when the bird flu symptoms emerged in Hong Kong, around one and half million chickens were killed to contain the spread.