Bird flu (bird flu)

Bird flu (bird flu)

overview

Bird flu is caused by a type of influenza virus that rarely infects humans. More than a dozen species of bird flu have been identified, including the two strains that have most recently infected humans - H5N1 and H7N9. If bird flu infects humans, it can be fatal.

Avian influenza outbreaks have occurred in Asia, Africa, North America and parts of Europe. Most people who have developed bird flu symptoms have had close contact with sick birds. In a few cases, bird flu has passed from one person to another. Since 2015, only sporadic human cases have been reported.

Health officials fear a global outbreak could occur if an avian flu virus mutates into a form that is more easily transmitted from person to person. Researchers are working on vaccines to protect people from bird flu.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of bird flu can appear within two to seven days of infection, depending on the type. In most cases, they are similar to those of the common flu, including:

• Husten
• Fieber
• Halsschmerzen
• Muskelkater
• Kopfschmerzen
• Kurzatmigkeit

Some people also experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. And in some cases, a mild eye infection (conjunctivitis) is the only indication of the disease.

When to go to the doctor?

See your doctor immediately if you develop fever, cough, and body aches and have recently traveled to a part of the world where bird flu is present. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have visited farms or outdoor markets.

Causes

Bird flu occurs naturally in wild waterfowl and can spread to domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The disease is spread through contact with the feces of an infected bird or secretions from the nose, mouth or eyes.

Open-air markets where eggs and birds are sold in crowded and unsanitary conditions are sources of infection and can spread the disease to the wider community.

Undercooked poultry meat or eggs from infected birds can transmit bird flu. Poultry meat is safe to eat if it has been cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Eggs should be cooked until the yolk and white are firm.

Risk factors

The biggest risk factor for bird flu appears to be contact with sick birds or with surfaces contaminated by feathers, saliva or feces. The pattern of human transmission remains mysterious. In very few cases, bird flu was transmitted from person to person. But unless the virus spreads more easily among people, infected birds pose the greatest threat.

Complications

People with bird flu can develop life-threatening complications including:

• Lungenentzündung
• Bindehautentzündung (Bindehautentzündung)
• Atemstillstand
• Nierenfunktionsstörung
• Herzprobleme

Although bird flu may kill more than half of the people it infects, the number of deaths is still low because so few people have had bird flu. Since 1997, fewer than 500 bird flu deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization.

In contrast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that seasonal influenza is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the United States alone.

prevention

Bird flu vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine to prevent infection with a strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus. This vaccine is not available to the public, but the U.S. government is stockpiling it and distributing it in the event of an outbreak.

This vaccine could be used early in such an outbreak to provide limited protection until another vaccine - one designed to protect against the specific form of the virus causing the outbreak - is developed and produced. Researchers continue to work on other types of bird flu vaccines.

Recommendations for travelers

If you are traveling to Southeast Asia or a region with bird flu outbreaks, consider these public health recommendations:

• Vermeiden Sie domestizierte Vögel. Vermeiden Sie nach Möglichkeit ländliche Gebiete, kleine Bauernhöfe und Märkte unter freiem Himmel.
• Wasche deine Hände. Dies ist eine der einfachsten und besten Möglichkeiten, Infektionen aller Art vorzubeugen. Verwenden Sie auf Reisen ein Händedesinfektionsmittel auf Alkoholbasis mit mindestens 60 Prozent Alkohol.
• Fragen Sie nach einer Grippeimpfung. Fragen Sie vor Reiseantritt Ihren Arzt nach einer Grippeimpfung. Es wird Sie nicht speziell vor der Vogelgrippe schützen, aber es kann dazu beitragen, das Risiko einer gleichzeitigen Infektion mit Vogelgrippe- und Menschengrippeviren zu verringern.

Poultry and egg products

Because heat destroys bird viruses, cooked poultry is not a health threat. Still, it's best to take precautions when handling and preparing poultry that may be contaminated with salmonella or other harmful bacteria.

• Kreuzkontamination vermeiden. Verwenden Sie heißes Seifenwasser, um Schneidebretter, Utensilien und alle Oberflächen, die mit rohem Geflügel in Kontakt gekommen sind, zu waschen.
• Gründlich kochen. Kochen Sie das Hähnchen, bis der Saft klar herausläuft und es eine Innentemperatur von mindestens 74 °C erreicht.
• Finger weg von rohen Eiern. Da Eierschalen oft mit Vogelkot kontaminiert sind, vermeiden Sie Lebensmittel mit rohen oder nicht ausreichend gekochten Eiern.

Sources:

1. Vogelgrippe und andere zoonotische Influenza. Weltgesundheitsorganisation. http://www.who.int/influenza/human_animal_interface/en/. Abgerufen am 20. September 2017.
2. Informationen zur Vogelgrippe. Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/. 20. September 2017.
3. Stephenson I. Epidemiologie, Übertragung und Pathogenese der Vogelgrippe. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Abgerufen am 20. September 2017.
4. Vogelgrippe (Vogelgrippe). Nationaler Gesundheitsservice. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Avian-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Abgerufen am 20. September 2017.
5. Sichere Mindestkochtemperaturen. US-Gesundheits- und Sozialdienste. https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html. Abgerufen am 21. September 2017.
6. Stephenson I. Behandlung und Prävention der Vogelgrippe. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Abgerufen am 20. September 2017.
7. Stephenson I. Klinische Manifestationen und Diagnose der Vogelgrippe. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Abgerufen am 20. September 2017.
8. Ferri FF. Vogelgrippe. In: Ferri’s Clinical Advisor 2018. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier, 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Abgerufen am 22. September 2017.
9. Kumulative Zahl der bestätigten Fälle von Vogelgrippe A (H5N1) beim Menschen, die der WHO gemeldet wurden, 2003-2016. Weltgesundheitsorganisation. http://www.who.int/influenza/human_animal_interface/H5N1_cumulative_table_archives/en/. Abgerufen am 22. September 2017.
10. Schätzung der Todesfälle im Zusammenhang mit der saisonalen Grippe in den Vereinigten Staaten. Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm. Abgerufen am 22. September 2017.