Bird flu, or avian flu, is a throw in of infection that occurs mainly in birds.
Rarely, the virus also can spread from person to person.
(2)
How Is Bird Flu Diagnosed?
Bird flu cant be diagnosed based on symptoms alone.
The mortality rate for H5N1 has been estimated to be 60 percent.
(6) The mortality rate for H7N9 is around 40 percent.
(3) Both viruses have a longer incubation time than that of seasonal influenza.
The best way to prevent bird flu is to avoid the sources of the exposure.
People shouldnt get too close to birds, and should avoid touching surfaces that are contaminated with bird droppings.
(8)
The seasonal flu vaccine doesnt protect against avian flu.
(9)
Bird flu virus H7N9 was first reported to infect humans in China in March 2013.
Between 2013 and 2017, according to the WHO, more than 1,500 people have been infected with H7N9.
(12) However, it has had a few other types of bird flu infections in humans.
It may also lead to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
She is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases.
She also teaches medical trainees and lectures medical students at the Emory University School of Medicine.
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