Avian Influenza A (H5N1)

Introduction

Avian influenza, routinely bird flu, mentions to influenza initiated by viruses acclimatized to birds. Of the utmost anxiety is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

"Bird influenza" is a phrase similar to "swine flu," "dog flu," "horse flu," or "human flu" in that it refers to an sickness initiated by any of numerous distinct strains of influenza viruses that have acclimatized to a exact host. All renowned viruses, which origin influenza in birds pertain to the species influenza 'A' virus. All subtypes (but not all strains of all subtypes) of influenza A virus are adapted to birds, which is why for numerous purposes avian flu virus is the influenza A virus (note that the "A" does not stand for "avian").(Fukuda, pp. 199-205)

Adaptation is non-exclusive. Being adapted in the direction of a particular species does not preclude adaptations, or partial adaptations, in the direction of infecting distinct species. Recent influenza research into the genes of the Spanish flu virus displays it to have genes adapted to both birds and humans; with more of its genes from birds than less deadly subsequent pandemic strains. (Fukuda, pp. 199-205)

Characteristics of Avian Influenza

The signals variety from an easy cough, sneezing, sore throat, and eye infections to distended heads, respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and even death. With educated people and common sense this shock can easily be brushed aside and the emergence of an influenza pandemic can be a considered of the past. With all of this data being hurled at you, the main topic of this whole paper is the importance of controlling the traffic between infected and uninfected birds. It is not official but looking back on cases of Avian Influenza it generally takes between 3-7 days for you to become ill after being contaminated with the virus. The fact is that since these viruses do not normally infect humans, that when they actually do the immune system does not have anything to protect against it in today's population.

Transmission

Human influenza is transmitted by inhalation of infectious droplets and droplet nuclei, by direct contact, and perhaps, by indirect (fomite) contact, with self-inoculation onto the upper respiratory tract or conjunctive mucosa. The relation effectiveness of the different paths of transmission has not been defined. For human influenza A (H5N1) diseases, evidence is reliable with bird-to-human, probably environment-to-human, and limited, no sustained human-to-human transmission to date. (Zong, pp. 52-58)

Symptoms

Most patients have primary symptoms of high fever (typically warmth of more than 38°C) and an influenza-like sickness with smaller respiratory tract symptoms. Upper respiratory tract symptoms are present only sometimes. Unlike patients with diseases initiated by avian influenza A (H7) viruses, patients with avian influenza A (H5N1) seldom have conjunctivitis. Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal agony, pleurisy agony, and bleeding from the nose and gums have furthermore been reported early in the course of sickness in some patients. Watery diarrhea without body-fluid or inflammatory alterations seems to be more widespread than in influenza due to human viruses and may precede respiratory manifestations by up to one week. One report recounted ...