What is avian influenza? Avian influenza (also referred to as avian flu or
bird flu) refers to type A strains of the influenza virus that infect birds. Avian flu occurs worldwide and was first
identified over 100 years ago. Normally avian flu viruses don't infect species other than birds and pigs. In 1997, however, the
first documented human case of avian flu occurred in Hong Kong. Avian flu causes severe symptoms and
can result in death.
Risk areas Multiple countries have reported outbreaks of avian flu in their
poultry populations, and several countries have had confirmed cases of people infected with avian flu. The
World Health Organization
provides maps that show affected countries.
Your risk of contracting avian flu depends on your proximity to infected poultry, so there is currently minimal risk for
members of the UM community in the US.
Transmission can occur from infected poultry, primarily chickens and
ducks, or their feces to humans and other poultry. Furthermore, birds that survive infection can still transmit the virus
for at least 10 days. There is no evidence that eating properly cooking poultry or eggs can cause infection. Limited
person-to-person transmission has been reported.
While 15 subtypes of influenza can infect birds, only
a few of these have been known to infect people. The
first reported strain of avian flu to infect humans
is also the most common and most pathogenic, and is
called H5N1. Two other strains, H7N7 and H9N2, have
also been reported to infect humans as well. Migratory
birds do carry avian flu viruses, but usually in the
low pathogenic form. For this reason efforts are focused
on poultry that are more likely to carry the highly
pathogenic form of H5N1. See the World Health Organization
for more on the role of migratory
birds in the spread of avian flu.
Why avian flu is a concern There
is minimal risk of contracting avian flu from poultry
in most parts of the world, including North America.
While a few instances of person-to-person transmission
have been reported, the H5N1 strain of the virus has
not mutated to allow easy transmission from one person
to another. Also, the H5N1 strain is known to mutate
rapidly, increasing the possibility that it may mutate
to the point where it can be transmitted from one person
to another.
You are at increased risk of contracting avian flu
if you live in or travel to a risk area
that is experiencing an avian flu outbreak in poultry.
Furthermore, the H5N1 strain of avian flu is now present
in many parts of Asia, increasing the chance that humans
will become infected by infected poultry. Each time
this occurs, there is a chance that the virus will develop
the ability to pass from human to human. If this adaptation
occurs, it will no longer be a bird virus; it will be
a human influenza virus. Influenza pandemics are caused
by new influenza viruses that have adapted to humans.
A pandemic outbreak of flu in humans would be a severe global problem. The flu virus can spread rapidly through sneezing and
coughing, and those infected could transmit before they even develop symptoms. No one can predict where or when a pandemic would
start or if one will occur at all, but as the H5N1 strain moves to more parts of Asia and other parts of the world, the chance
increases. For more on pandemic flu, see the World
Health Organization website.
Symptoms of avian flu in humans consist of normal flu-like symptoms of
coughing, sore throat, muscle-ache and fever. Eye infections, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and other severe
life-threatening complications can also accompany the disease.
Prevention The best thing you can do is stay away from infected poultry
and their feces in risk areas. If traveling in risk areas, take precautions to minimize your risk.
Avoid all direct contact with poultry, regardless of their apparent health.
Avoid places where live poultry are raised or kept.
Avoid poultry feces.
Wash your hands frequently.
Cook all eggs and poultry thoroughly.
Monitor your health carefully, including the 10 days after you leave a risk area.
Unfortunately, because avian flu is a virus that mutates, no effective vaccine has been developed. The yearly flu shots
that protect against seasonal flu have no effect against avian flu.
Treatment Limited studies show that both oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza)
can increase survival rates if taken within 48 hours after symptoms develop. Research is underway to develop a vaccine; see the
National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases website.
For now, however, an effective treatment has not been identified.
What is UM doing to prepare for avian flu? Together, University Health Service, University
Housing, UM Health System, other campus units and the Washtenaw County Health Department plan for contagious disease prevention and response,
including pandemic influenza.
If you have been in a risk area and experience symptoms of avian flu within 10 days,
contact your health provider. See Appointment or Walk-in for how to use
UHS.
If you are abroad, you can refer to the
CDC Yellow Book for resources on how to obtain health care.
