Bird flu is a kind of influenza that is caused by viruses, which are adapted to the avian species, i.e. birds. This kind of avian influenza is also known as avian flu. It is generally caused by the different influenza virus strains that are adapted to a specific host. This kind of influenza is similar to that of dog flu, horse flu or human flu.

Causes of Bird Flu

The different virus that causes bird flu in the birds belongs to the species of Influenza A. All the subtypes of these viruses, however, have been adapted to the avian species. Bird flu is caused by the H5N1 virus strain, which is a subtype of the Influenza, A virus. However, the H5N1 strain virus that causes bird flu is known as HPAI A (H5N1). This virus strain has caused epidemic in different species of bird. However, apart from other avian species it can also affect other animals.

Bird Flu Symptoms

The most common symptom of bird flu is fever. A person suffering from bird flu can have temperature above 100°F. Apart from fever a person suffering from bird flu will have cough which is similar to the normal flu symptom. However, a person who is affected with bird flu will pass on the virus along with the cough.

This is the reason why the disease is called to be highly infectious. This infectious nature of the disease makes it essential that both the patients suffering from bird flu and the caretakers taking care of them should wear facemasks. However, a person suffering from bird flu will face difficulty in breathing. Besides, these patients will also suffer from shortness of breath.

The patients suffering from bird flu will also suffer from sore throat, which is a common symptom of normal flu; some of the patients suffering from bird flu suffer from diarrhea and also abdominal pain. However, all patients do not face this kind of problem. Some patients may even face the symptom of watery diarrhea.

In most cases the patients generally face the problem of diarrhea before encountering the respiratory problem. Another common symptoms which some of the patients display is the bleeding of the gums and nose. There are some patients who have the symptoms of muscle aches, which is similar to the symptom of normal flu.

Some of the patients suffering from bird flu face the symptom of vomiting and nausea. Conjunctivitis is another common symptom. People who are affected with H5N1 bird flu generally do not get affected with conjunctivitis. This is mostly faced by patients who are suffering from bird flu caused by different other subtypes of the Influenza A virus.

Bird Flu Prevention

There is no definite treatment for bird flu. There are no vaccines that can treat H5N1 bird flu. However, researches on some vaccines are in progress. Nonetheless they have not yet crossed the boundaries of clinical trials. The vaccines that are available in the market have been found to be ineffective in treating this kind of bird flu.

However, there are some antiviral drugs that target the neuraminidase component of influenza, and have been found to be of great help in fighting bird flu. These antiviral drugs may help in reducing the severeness of the symptoms of bird flu.

Besides, these drugs also reduce the days for which a person suffers from bird flu. These antiviral drugs also help in reducing the complications that occurs to a person suffering from bird flu. Among the different antiviral drugs the three drugs that have been found to be effective include Tamiflu, Peramivir and Relenza.

Bird Flu Prevention

If you want to protect yourself from bird flu, you should always properly wash your hands and maintain general hygiene. You should try to stay away from a particular area where bird flu has occurred.

Always try to stay away from animals and humans suffering from bird flu. The healthcare professionals who are taking care of people suffering from bird flu should always use masks, aprons, gloves and other kind of protective to protect themselves from getting affected by bird flu.