As we deal with the COVID pandemic, several states across India are reporting an outbreak of another virus – the avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu.
On 4 January, the deaths of migratory water birds due to avian influenza rose to 2,401– almost half of them being the endangered bar-headed goose, visiting Himachal Pradesh’s Pong wetlands.
The same day, the Kerala government said that around 12,000 ducks have died in the last few days, while according to minister K Raju another 36,000 are likely to be culled.
Earlier, on 27 December 2020, about 100 crows were found dead in a local temple at Jhalawar, 341 km from Rajasthan capital Jaipur. On 31 December, a high alert was issued after confirmation of avian influenza in a sample of crows. According to reports, more than 200 birds have died in Rajasthan so far. At the same time, more than 50 crows found dead in Indore of Madhya Pradesh have been confirmed to be infected with bird flu and there are reports of the death of about 1500 ducks in Kerala.
What is avian influenza? Can it be transmitted to human beings? Here’s all you need to know.
Avian influenza is a viral disease that is contagious.
Avian influenza, avian flu or simply bird flu is a disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. This is said to occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other birds and animals explained the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can cause severe respiratory disease in birds.
H5N1 and H7N9 are the most common strains of the virus.
Bird flu viruses usually do not infect humans, but many cases of human infection with bird flu virus have been reported since 1997. H5N1 was first confirmed in humans in 1997. According to the World Health Organization, bird flu can be transmitted from one person to another, which is possible, but rare.
States like Punjab, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have sounded high alert.
Cases of H5N1 infection in humans have been found due to close contact with infected living or dead birds. It can be transmitted to humans through contact with an infected bird’s stool, nose, mouth or eyes and enters a human via their eyes, mouth and nose.
Most cases of influenza A (H5N1) and A (H7N9) virus infections in humans have been found to be associated with direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry.
Not really. Heat destroys avian viruses. Therefore, cooked poultry isn't a health threat. However, you should ensure that the meat is handled well and cleanliness is maintained while cooking it.
Most importantly, eggs and meat should be cooked well.
According to MayoClinic, the following precautions should be taken:
At the same time, some influenza A (H5N1) cases in humans are also believed to be linked to dishes prepared from raw, contaminated poultry and therefore it is advisable to cook the meat thoroughly.
Symptoms of bird flu are like common flu-
According to the Bird Count India, a partnership comprising organisations and groups, over the past seven to 10 days, there have been reports of wild birds dying in separate incidents at different locations in the country.
At the moment, no one knows whether these are causes of larger concern, but it is worth keeping an eye on the situation, it said, according to IANS.
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