Alert For A New Outbreak Of Avian Flu
Also known as avian influenza, avian influenza is a viral, infectious and highly contagious disease. Therefore, the UN warning about the possibility of a new outbreak of avian flu has alarmed international health authorities.
Which animals can be affected?
Avian influenza can affect many species of birds and mammals, including pets, farm animals and humans; it is also highly contagious.
The causative agents of this disease are the H5 and H7 subtypes of the Influenza virus belonging to genus A. These microorganisms affect chicken birds with special ease; hence, bird flu is also known as ‘chicken flu’.
The first official report of this disease occurred in Italy in the mid-twentieth century, and it quickly spread across the planet. Due to its lethality and high risk of contamination, it is considered an alarming zoonosis by Public Health.
How is the spread of avian flu?
The transmission of avian flu is very intense on farms and farms dedicated to raising birds. Infected birds shed the virus through their respiratory fluids and also through their faeces.
However, these pathogens can also be easily spread through the air. Likewise, contact with contaminated objects, food or liquids can also be a way of spreading avian flu.
How does bird flu affect humans?
In theory, bird flu should not infect humans. Cases diagnosed in people occur due to anomalous and unpredictable mutations of some virus subtypes of the Influenza family .
The first cases of avian flu in humans were diagnosed in 1997 in Hong Kong. At that time, the only way to control a possible pandemic was to sacrifice millions of poultry.
However, this measure was urgent and palliative, as it is not possible to extinguish the pathogens or control their mutations. For this reason, international health authorities remain alert to the possibility of a new outbreak of avian flu.
According to data provided by the WHO in 2011, avian flu has already affected more than 560 people since 2003, and approximately 310 deaths have been registered.
Main symptoms in humans
The first symptoms of avian flu in humans are often similar to the classic signs of a simple flu, such as:
- Muscle aches
- Fever
- Cough
- Discomfort, pain or sore throat
- Excessive tiredness or lack of energy
However, when the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and there is a greater risk of developing a serious respiratory problem, such as pneumonia, for example.
It should be noted that avian flu symptoms progress rapidly, which can lead to a general decline in the patient’s health within a few days. Therefore, it is essential to go to a hospital or health center when experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above.
UN warning about a new outbreak of avian flu in the world
Since 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) maintains a type of preventive alert for a possible avian flu pandemic. This can happen due to the risks generated by the high migration of the H5N1 Influenza virus serotypes to all continents.
However, a recent UN warning about the possibility of a new outbreak of avian flu has alarmed international authorities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a highly pathogenic variant of the H5N1 virus is rapidly proliferating in Asian countries.
Viet Nam’s health authorities and veterinary services are currently on high alert because of this anomalous mutation, which poses an “unpredictable risk to human health,” as declared by the FAO.
In addition to putting the local population at risk, a new outbreak of bird flu in Vietnam would also quickly affect Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand. If its proliferation is not controlled, it could also reach the peninsula of Korea and Japan.
FAO also states that countries where the H5N1 virus is already firmly established may face more serious consequences for the health of their population. This is the case in China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Egypt, which must be especially alert to a new outbreak of avian flu.
