Bird Flu

Birds, just like people, get the flu. Bird flu viruses infect birds, including chickens, other poultry and wild birds such as ducks. Most bird flu viruses can only infect other birds. However, bird flu can pose health risks to people. The first case of a bird flu virus infecting a person directly, H5N1, was in Hong Kong in 1997. Since then, the bird flu virus has spread to birds in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Human infection is still very rare, but the virus that causes the infection in birds might change, or mutate, to more easily infect humans. This could lead to a pandemic, or a worldwide outbreak of the illness.

During an outbreak of bird flu, people who have contact with infected birds can become sick. It may also be possible to catch bird flu by eating poultry that is not well cooked or through contact with a person who has it. Bird flu can make people very sick or even cause death. There is currently no vaccine.

External Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC Influenza, with facts about previous flu pandemics, and key facts about bird flu and the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.

Singapore Government Bird Flu - News and facts about bird flu from the Singapore Government.

Nature: Bird flu - Events relating to, and science about, bird flu, presented by the science magazine Nature.

Bird flu: What you need to know - Questions and answers from CNN.

Bird Flu - US Department of State - News on the disease from the US government.

Avian Influenza - Information on bird flu from Australia's Department of Health and Ageing.

Bird flu - A guide to bird flu and its symptoms from BBC Health.

Bird Flu Monitor - Weblog with comment on and links to news and media stories.

Double suicide over bird flu scare - [CNN]

China: We've beaten bird flu - [CNN]

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