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What is the difference between avian flu and pandemic flu?
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Bird flu and pandemic flu are two different things. Both are a threat, but the threats they
pose to human and animal health are distinct.
Experts note that even health officials contribute to public confusion by using a single term
-bird flu-to refer to three different phenomena:
- avian flu in birds
- avian flu in people
- pandemic flu3
Avian Flu in Birds
Avian flu is an infection caused by avian flu viruses.
These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines,
but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian flu is very contagious among birds and can make
some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.
Infection with avian flu viruses in domestic poultry causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished
by extremes of virulence, low pathogenic and highly pathogenic:
- Low pathogenic form may go undetected and usually causes only mild symptoms (such as ruffled feathers
and a drop in egg production).
- Highly pathogenic form, however, spreads more rapidly through flocks of poultry. This form may cause
disease that affects multiple internal organs and has a mortality rate that can reach 90% to 100%, often
within 48 hours.2
Avian Flu in Humans
During an outbreak of avian flu among poultry, there is a possible risk to people who have had contact with
infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds.2
Highly pathogenic H5N1, the cause of the current concern, is an avian flu virus that had caused the death or
destruction of tens of millions of birds and, as of 5/9/06, had caused 194 cases of bird-to-human transmission
of H5N1 and 109 deaths.3
So far, the spread of the avian flu virus from person-to-person has been limited and has not continued beyond
one person. Nonetheless, because all flu viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that H5N1
virus one day could infect humans and spread easily from one person to another. Because these viruses
do not commonly infect humans, there is little or no immune protection against them in the human population.
If H5N1 virus were to gain the capacity to spread easily from person-to-person, a pandemic flu could begin.2
Flu Pandemic
A pandemic flu is one that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness that spreads easily from
person-to-person. Currently there is no pandemic flu. A pandemic flu occurs when a new influenza type A virus
emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population, begins to cause serious illness, and
then spreads person-to-person worldwide.4
Read more about what a pandemic is.
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Tell-A-Colleague
