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Avian Flu Resources
- Questions and answers
- What is the Avian or bird flu?
- Difference between pandemic and ordinary flu
- Why is there such a concern about bird flu?
- Should people be worried about this now?
- Is it safe to eat poultry?
- Best defense against Avian Flu
- Sites with more information on Avian Flu
What is Avian Flu?
There are many different types of influenza viruses circulating in the world all the time. Some infect only birds. Some infect only swine. Others, only humans. What is being referred to today as avian influenza or bird flu is one type of influenza affecting birds - an H5N1 influenza virus - that has caused widespread illness in poultry flocks in Asia since 2003. Hundreds of millions of chickens and ducks have died or been culled in an effort to control the outbreak.
The current avian influenza virus can infect people to a limited degree. As of April 26, 2006, 204 confirmed cases and 113 have died - a 55% mortality rate. But these are people who caught the virus from birds. Most of them worked with poultry flocks or had close contact with birds. So far, the virus does not appear to be spreading easily from person-to-person.
What is the difference between pandemic flu and ordinary flu?
Ordinary flu
- Occurs every year during the winter
- Affects up to 10% of the population
- For most people, it is an unpleasant, but not life-threatening, infection
- The very young, the very old and people with certain chronic illnesses are most at risk of serious illness
- Annual vaccination is available for those at risk of serious illness
- Antiviral drugs are available to treat those at special risk
Pandemic flu
- Occurs about three times each century - at any time of the year
- May affect around 25% of the population
- It is a more serious infection for everyone
- People of every age may be at risk of serious illness
- A vaccine won't be available to start with - when it does become available, the aim will be to immunize the whole population as rapidly as possible as vaccine supplies come through
Why is there such a concern about bird flu?
Public health officials are concerned that the virus could change its genes (mutate) into a form that is easily transmitted from person to person. While we don't know for sure that it will mutate or when it will, the result, if it did, would then be a global influenza pandemic. Since few, if any, people would have any immunity to it, the new influenza virus would spread around the world rapidly, causing serious illness in many, many people.
There has been much reported in the media about this lately because national and international officials have been meeting to discuss various ways to prevent the spread of avian influenza and a potential pandemic influenza and how to respond to both.
Should people be worried about this now?
There is no sign that the H5N1 has became a pandemic flu strain - yet. If could become a pandemic like that of 1918 when millions of people died or it could become a less severe pandemic like that of 1956. We simply don't know. But we need to be prepared in either case. Most health officials do believe that a pandemic will happen - it's just a question of when.
Is it safe to eat poultry?
Yes. Eating properly handled and cooked poultry is safe. The U.S. government has banned imported poultry from countries affected by bird flu, including H5N1. In addition, European officials say cooking kills the virus and they are assuring Europeans it is safe to eat poultry.
Best defense
Our best weapon in a pandemic may be common sense. Wash your hands frequently, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home as much as possible (when people are sick). Some of these things you can and should practice right now or during any flu seaon.
More information on avian flu:
For more information on the avian or "bird flu," please visit the following Web sites.
For more information, contact:
Bloomington Public Health Division
1900 West Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington, MN 55431
PH: 952-563-8900 V/TTY
Office hours:
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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