What is Bird Flu?
Bird flu is a form
of influenza or flu that normally affects only birds. The
current strain of the bird flu virus has also been caught
by a number of other species living in close proximity to
these animals or who have eaten infected birds. Most noteably
various human cases
and a case in pigs caught by close exposure to infected animals
and several other animal cases including cats and tigers thought
to have eaten infected animals.
As discussed elsewhere,
human cases have been rare and probably all caught by close
exposure to infected animals. Infection has occurred when
bird faeces has dried and been particulized and become airborne.
These particles have then been ingested probably through inhalation.
What scientists worry
about is that strains of flu are constantly evolving ie their
DNA mutates from generation to generation, so that a strain
might develop over the coming months that may be transmittable
from human to human. Until that point (if it ever occurs)
even cases of bird flu in a country are not really a cause
for serious alarm.
Bird Flu, Avian Flu
and Avian Influenza are all the same thing. H5N1 is the name
of a particular strain of Bird Flu. Almost all reported cases
and all deaths reported over recent months have been of the
H5N1 strain of Bird Flu. |
