Bird Flu Outbreak: What is H5N1? What You Need to Know

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Bird flu 2024

Order to kill 21000 Ducks. After America, bird flu outbreak in India. H5N1 bird flu virus outbreak in Kerala in Duck.

H5N1 is now communicable from birds to animals and then to humans, and its human fertility rate is high. Some reports predict it is more detrimental than the coronavirus outbreak in 2019. 

Bird flu has been confirmed in ducks in Kerala, and thousands of ducks have been culled in Alappuzha. In the last eight days, 3,500 birds have been extinguished, and the government of Kerala will extinguish 21,000 ducks. 

KEY NOTE: Bird flu infections in people are rare but possible. Most reported cases have happened after unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces.

According to reports, the H5N1 strain has killed millions of birds and mammals, including polar bears and penguins. Confirmation of bird flu came from ducks in Ward 1 of Edathva Grama Panchayat and Ward 3 of Cheruthana Grama Panchayat following tests on symptomatic duck samples sent to a Bhopal lab. District officials confirmed the presence of avian influenza (H5N1).

Source: TOI

What is  AVIAN INFLUENZA?

Avian influenza is commonly known as Bird flu and is categorized into four types: A, B, C, and D. Most avian influenza do not infect humans, but H5N1 and H7N9 do.

INFLUENZA A and B: It is seasonal.

INFLUENZA C: It infects humans also infect dogs and pigs

INFLUENZA D: It infects mostly cattle.

Scientific Name: HA (Hemagglutinin) & NA (Neuraminidase)

SYMPTOMS of AVIAN INFLUENZA

In humans, symptoms of H5N1 infection can vary widely. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they may range from no symptoms or mild illness, such as eye redness (conjunctivitis) or mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms, to severe cases requiring hospitalization.

Common symptoms include:

  1. 1. Fever (temperature of 100ºF [37.8ºC] or greater), 
  2. 2. Cough
  3. 3. sore throat
  4. 4. Runny or stuffy nose
  5. 5. Muscle or body aches
  6. 6. Headaches
  7. 7. Fatigue
  8. 8. Difficulty breathing

H5N1 Spread
Source: CDC