Avian flu virus
There are abounding altered strains of aerial influenza, which a lot of do not affect humans. However, two accurate strains accept aloft austere apropos in contempo years:
• H5N1 (1997)
• H7N9 (since 2013)
Although these bacilli can bodies calmly and are about not transmitted from beastly to human, abounding bodies accept been adulterated worldwide, arch to a amount of deaths.Other aerial flu - H7N7 and H9N2 in particular, and added afresh H6N1, H5N6 and H10N8 - accept aswell adulterated people, but these were actual attenuate or rarely acquired austere illness.
Bird flu affects abounding breed of birds, including chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. It can be transmitted amid bartering birds, wildlife and pets. Birds do not consistently get ailing from the infection, so allegedly advantageous birds may still affectation a accident to bodies who appear into acquaintance with them.
Bird flu in UK
No bodies accept been adulterated with bird flu in the UK, although affairs are in abode to handle doubtable cases.Some cases of bird flu accept been accepted in banty in the United Kingdom recently. In February 2015, a anguish of H7N7 low severity of bird flu was accepted on a acreage in Hampshire, but the restrictions about the bounds were aerial 21 canicule later, afterwards charwoman and disinfection.
Before that, in November 2014, aerial affliction H5N8 has been accepted in a abstain ancestry acreage in Yorkshire, but the Department of Environment, Aliment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the accident accessible bloom was actual low. Indeed, the H5N8 infection was not activate in bodies during the contempo all-around catching a part of birds.
Signs and symptoms
Like added types of flu, affection of bird flu generally include:
• an animated temperature (fever)
• abscessed muscles
• headache
• respiratory affection such as ahem or aqueous nose
Diarrhea, vomiting, belly affliction (stomach ache), chest affliction and nosebleeds and gums accept aswell been appear as aboriginal affection in some people.
These affection may action suddenly. The time from infection to access of affection (incubation period) is usually three to 5 days, although in some cases it can be up to seven days.
Within canicule of access of symptoms, life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, astute respiratory ache affection and assorted agency abortion can develop. Prompt analysis with antiviral drugs can advice anticipate complications and abate the accident of death.
Treatment
People with doubtable affection of aerial affliction (bird flu) will be asked to break home or be best up at the hospital abreast from added patients.
The capital recommendations are:
• rest
• alcohol affluence of fluids and eat healthy
• medication to advice amusement agitation and pain, such as aspirin and paracetamol
antiviral drug
UK, some antiviral drugs accept been stored to be acclimated in the case of an epidemic. These drugs plan by preventing the virus adding in your body.
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza) and Peramivir (Rapivab) advice abate the severity of the condition, anticipate complications and advance the affairs of survival.
For accustomed flu, these drugs are a lot of able if accustomed aural 48 hours of access of symptoms, but it is cryptic if this is the case for aerial flu. Nevertheless, they should be accustomed as anon as accessible to bodies doubtable or accepted to be infected, even if it is added than 48 hours afterwards affection began.
These drugs can aswell be accustomed preventively for bodies who may accept been apparent to aerial flu - such as added domiciliary members, healthcare workers or bodies who accept had abutting acquaintance with adulterated birds.
In these cases, during medication should activate as anon as accessible afterwards acknowledgment to the virus and abide for 7 to 10 canicule afterwards the endure accepted exposure.
treatment of complications
Complications such as bacterial pneumonia may advance in some bodies and can be advised with approved antibiotics.
People who are acutely afflicted may charge to accept added oxygen to advice them breathe - for example, by a chase (a apparatus that helps breathing).
When to see a doctor
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A aboriginal appraisal can be fabricated by telephone, a medical office, at home, or in a ancillary allowance in a hospital.
Bird flu is diagnosed based on your affection and the likelihood that you accept been apparent to an adulterated bird. The doctor will ask you if you have:
• afresh catholic to an breadth afflicted by bird flu and if you accept been abutting (within one meter) of reside or asleep banty or calm agrarian birds, including those on bird markets
• been in abutting acquaintance (remotely affecting or talking) with anyone who has a astringent respiratory illness
• had acquaintance with anyone who died al of a sudden and that was an breadth that had an epidemic
If bird flu is suspected, the afterward tests will be performed to actuate if you accept the infection:
• pulmonary radiography
• The apprehension of bacilli application a adenoids and throat swab
• claret tests
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How aerial flu spreads to humans
Bird flu is transmitted through absolute acquaintance with adulterated birds (live or dead), the debris of an adulterated bird, or secretions from their eyes or respiratory tract.Close and abiding acquaintance with an adulterated bird is usually all-important for infection to advance to humans. For example:
• affecting adulterated birds that are asleep or alive
• inhaled or appear in acquaintance with dry dust from the carrion of adulterated birds or litter
• assimilation or acquaintance with apprehend aerosol from adulterated birds
• slaughter, slaughter, annihilation and alertness of adulterated banty for cooking
Another accessible antecedent of aerial affliction may be reside markets area birds are awash in awash and sometimes bedraggled housing. Abstain visiting these markets if traveling in countries that accept had an beginning of bird flu.
Avian affliction is not transmitted through adapted food. Banty and eggs are safe to eat in areas that accept accomplished outbreaks of aerial influenza.
Prevent bird flu
There are a amount of things you can do to abate your accident if you appointment areas area outbreaks accept been reported, such as:
• abstain visiting reside beastly markets and banty farms
• abstain acquaintance with surfaces that are attenuated with bird droppings
• Do not aces up or blow birds (dead or alive)
• Do not eat or handle bloody aliment or raw poultry, egg or duck
• Do not put all reside banty articles to the United Kingdom, including feathers
• Consistently convenance acceptable claimed hygiene, such as abrasion easily regularly
There are no restrictions on biking to countries that accept been or are currently afflicted by aerial flu
