 |
Avian Flu
What is avian influenza, or “flu”, and how is it
different from a pandemic flu or seasonal flu?
Avian influenza (H5N1) - commonly called "bird flu" - is
an infection caused by a highly pathogenic influenza virus
that occurs naturally in birds. At this time, it is uncertain
whether the H5N1 virus currently circulating in birds will
lead to a global disease outbreak (pandemic) in humans.
An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that
occurs when a new influenza A virus appears or "emerges" in
the human population, causes serious illness, and then spreads
easily from person to person worldwide. Following are
some key facts about avian flu:
- Avian flu, or “bird flu,” is caused by avian influenza
viruses, which occur naturally among birds but do not typically
cause disease in humans.
- In the current avian flu outbreak caused by the H5N1 virus,
millions of birds have died or been killed.
- H5N1 bird flu was first reported to cause severe illness
in humans in Asia in 1997.
Additional Information on Avian Influenza (Bird
Flu)
For more information about pandemic influenza, send us an email at fluinfo@sbcphd.org or phone 888-SBCoFlu (888-722-6358).
|
|
