Birds just like people can get the flu. This class of virus infects poultry such as chickens and wild birds such as ducks. During an outbreak of bird flu, such as the one detected last week in Hungary, fear and doubt arises in people about a possible contagion in humans.
But, how common is it for a human being to get this virus? now we will tell you.
What is the avian flu virus that humans can get?
The avian flu virus is divided into two, the hyperpathogens, which can kill entire farms in just a few hours, and the few pathogens, which have a low mortality rate.
If we go back to the history of this virus in humans , it was found that a person was infected with A (H5N1) a hyperpathogen that caused an outbreak of influenza in birds in Hong Kong. Later in 2013, three people were infected with A (H7N9) in Shanghai and Anhui . These are the two types of virus that pose a threat to humans, being highest when circulating in an epidemic way. The possibility that a person can be infected is that these viruses have the possibility of mutating.
In people, the incubation period of this flu is longer than that of a seasonal flu . The symptoms are the same as those of influenza in humans, with the difference that the lower respiratory tract is affected very early in the illness. Complications of this virus in humans range from hypoxemia or decreased oxygen in the blood, to failure in multiple organs and bacterial and fungal infections.
The A (H5N1) virus can replicate for a certain time. In people infected with this virus, it is necessary to administer medications in phases well after the infection. It should be mentioned that bird flu viruses such as A (H5N1) and A (H7N9) circulate widely in poultry farms, this added to the migration of birds makes it potentially pandemic.
What are the risk factors for a person to contract the virus?
It should be clarified that the only strains of this virus found in people are A (H5N1) and A (H7N9) so far . For a human being to be infected with this disease, they must have come into direct contact with the infected animal, they must also be in an environment contaminated with the virus, that the outbreak of the epidemic in birds is due to one of the two strains mentioned above. So far, infection from the consumption of cooked foods that includes eggs and poultry can be ruled out, as there is still no data that directly relates them to the infection . A risk factor that should also not be overlooked, has to do with the sacrifice and handling of the animal, this is sometimes done at home. the best prevention we can do is to be alert and cook the food we are going to eat very well.
Currently the WHO, FAO and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) are working together to monitor these types of viruses, and thus take the necessary safety measures so that the health of people in the world is not affected. .
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References
- Influenza in birds extracted on November 10, 2016.
- WHO recommendation of bird flu in humans extracted on 10 November 2016.
