Avian FluBy Brendan Ambo

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Contents

1. Avian Flu and Its Causes

2. Avian Flu Epidemiology

3. Symptoms of the Disease

4. Transmission and Prevention

5. Treatment of Avian Flu

6. Worries for the Future

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Avian Flu and Its Causes

Avian Flu is virus is called H5N1. Wild birds are host for the disease but are not affected by it. Wild birds fly (while migrating) to where there are domesticated birds like chickens and ducks and infect them. Then the people living close to the birds get sick.

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Satellite photo with bird migration route of how Avian Flu might spread.

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Avian Flu Epidemiology

• First Identified in Birds: 1961, South Africa• First Outbreak in Humans: 1997, Southern China• Host Animal: Aquatic birds• Virus Family: Influenza virus

The Avian Flu reached humans in China in 1997 and killed 6 people. In 2004 the disease went into Thailand and Vietnam killing about half of the 112 people who had the disease.

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Symptoms of the Disease

Symptoms of Avian Fluinclude:

• Fever• Weakness• Headaches• Muscle Aches• Coughing• Chest Pains• Can lead to Pneumonia

Microscopic Avian Flu virus shown in blue.

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Transmission and Prevention

People who get Avian Flu catch it from infected domesticated ducks, chickens and turkeys. All the birds in the flock with infected birds are killed to prevent people from getting sick.

Soldiers collecting chickens to kill in 2004 outbreak.

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Treatment of Avian Flu

The Avian Flu is treated like any other flu. To prevent catching it people should wash their hands and stay away from infected people. There was a experimental vaccine made in 2005 but high doses had to be given and it didn’t always work.

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Worries for the Future

The Avian Flu is a disease that passes from bird to human. Scientist worry it will become more contagious and pass easily from human to human. The Avian Flu is related to the Spanish Flu. Both are Type A influenza from birds. In 1918 the Spanish Flu killed over 50 million people.

German soldiers collect a dead swan after more than 100 infected wild bird were found in the area.

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Sources

1. Pandemics, Library of Natural Disasters, World Book, Inc., Chicago, IL, 2008.

2. Denise Grady, Deadly Invaders: Virus Outbreaks Around the World, Kingfisher Publications, Boston, MA, 2006.

3. Connie Goldsmith, Invisible Invaders: Dangerous Infectious Diseases, Twenty-First Century Books, Minneapolis, MN, 2006.