Bird Flu Symptoms

Bird flu symptoms in humans are typically similar to those of a general ‘human’ influenza infection. However, due to the current rarity of human bird flu infections and the information from them, the condition could be highly variable in its progression. The only full proof way of differentiating between the diseases is by using a lab.

Bird flu is caused by an influenza A virus currently with multiple subtypes. The strain currently responsible for the majority of fatal outbreaks in birds and with some spread to humans is avian influenza A subtype H5N1. The common ‘human’ influenzas are typically caused by influenza A virus subtypes H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2.

Wild birds can carry the disease with no ill effects, however, the virus is often fatal in domesticated birds such as chickens, turkeys, and ducks. Of the reported cases in humans, more than 50% of the cases resulted in death.

The virus spreads quickly amongst bird populations through saliva, feces, and nasal secretions. It is spread to humans who typically have direct contact with domesticated birds and their infected waste. Infected humans are then able to transmit it to other humans.

Bird flu symptoms:

  • chills
  • fever
  • cough
  • sore throat
  • headache
  • runny nose
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • weakness
  • fatigue
  • muscle aches
  • possible eye infection - conjunctivitis
  • possible pneumonia

Diagnosis of human infection with the bird flu would be through laboratory testing of blood and secretion samples from an infected individual.

Treatment of human infection involves treatment with either oseltamivir or zanamivir which act to retard the viruses replication. This is by no means a cure and currently the prognosis of people with bird flu is that near 60% of a all cases end in death (according to WHO figures). The hope lies in the development of a vaccine which is slowly advancing.

Current prevention measures are the monitoring and improvement of domesticated bird farming practices, isolation of infected human individuals, and culling of infected domesticated populations.