How does bird flu virus spread to humans

How does bird flu virus spread to humans

by

Bird flu Virus is the name for the disease in the bird that targeted birds, but it could affect humanity too, but only in some instances. Bird flu has been regarded as one of the most imperative health issues to be addressed, for it poses a serious threat in causing infectious illnesses among the big population, starting from the infectious diseases caused by it in birds up to the human population. In order to explain human-to-human transmission, potential risk factors, and preventive measures available so as to remain free of being infected, the current article tries to present such an explanation.

What is Bird Flu?

Actually, bird flu is called a type of influenza virus, which typically lives, causing diseases in birds which takes birds to be considered as wild and fowls. The viruses cause the disease and at other times it is transferred from the animal itself to human beings. Thus, there are different types, and some variants are far much virulent than the other ones. For example, H5N1 and H7N9 have been associated with serious cases and outbreaks among human beings.

How does bird flu spread to humans?

  1. Direct Contact with Infected Birds:

Normally, man get the virus directly from direct contact with the infected birds or their droppings. Situations that this would occur will include; within a poultry farm or while selling the birds either in the market or anywhere the wild, dirty contaminated birds are in groups. Some people exposure for many persons is when they work under a poultry business, and even more, when at a bad-controlled facilities holding ill birds

  1. Intake of infected birds
    Cooking of birds through killing the virus, but generally the infection occurs if the poultry products have been taken raw, uncooking or dirty. Normally, this transposition of bird flu from the sources of animals is not occurring with well-cooked meat; the virus can not tolerate extreme temperatures for cooking.
  2. Transposition from Human- to- Human :
    Although this is very rare, bird flu has indeed proven to have human-to-human transmission. It mostly happens when an infected person, through close contact or respiratory droplets, passes it on to another person. This is not so common but always remains a concern for health authorities if the virus mutated into one that would easily be transmitted from human to human.
  3. Aerosol Droplets and Particles: The virus spreads to humans through aerosol droplets or particles when birds are already infected. The said particles, when inhaled by various people who surround infected birds, or through a contaminated environmental setting, would pose issues in low-ventilation areas or a high-concentration of bird population environments like farms and markets.
  4. Infected Surfaces and Items:
    It will perish less times on dirty surfaces. This implies that any dirty thing will be, for example bird cages, tools, and equipment which a person reaches out and then directly puts it to the mouth, nose, or eyes,

Human Beings Symptoms of Bird Flu.

Human beings symptoms of the bird flu are the same as the ordinary flu, but severe. Some symptoms include;
Fever
Cough
Sore throat
Muscle ache
Breathlessness
Pneumonia

Bird flu, at its worst, goes into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), organ failure, and even death.

Keep Yourself Safe from Bird Flu

  1. Avoid Contact with Infected Birds:
    This includes proper hygiene such as avoiding unhygienic contact that may result from contacting contaminated and dead birds or their parts, especially areas where lesions develop due to the bird flu. The staff has precautionary measures when employing the workforce. For example, protective gear like clothing, which goes hand in hand with putting on masks. 
  2. Cleanliness
    This will include proper hand washing with soap and water preferably after coming into contact or after touching any birds and their products; most importantly, refrain from touching your mouth, nostrils or eyes immediately after getting in contact with any infected surface.
  3. Cook poultry properly:
    Cook poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of at least 165°F/74°C. This may kill the virus, so the risk of getting infected from the food will be very low.
  4. Vaccines and Antivirals:
    There is no bird flu vaccine, but seasonal flu vaccines may decrease the likelihood of co-infection with human flu viruses. Avian flu sometimes can be treated with antiviral drugs if they are taken shortly after infection.

Faq’s about Bird Flu and Its Infection to Humans

  1. Does bird flu spread through air?
    Yes, the virus of bird flu transmits through airborne droplets if an infected bird coughs or sneezes. The droplet can easily be inhaled by human beings present near an infected bird.
  2. Mode of infection of bird flu? It can be transmitted to man through direct contact with infected birds through surface contamination and rarely by droplet infection from one person to another person with respiratory droplets.
  3. Whether it can be an infection through chicken or eggs?
    You can get bird flu by consuming undercooked or contaminated poultry products, but poultry and eggs are cooked to kill the virus in them, so the food becomes safe to eat.
  4. Is the bird flu communicable between humans?
    Bird flu is not easily communicable from one human being to another. This is, however possible. The chances are increased in unhygienic crowded places or with intimate contact with an infected person.

5. Bird flu symptoms in human beings?
This flu causes symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body pains, and dyspnea. It worsens the patients who contract pneumonia, organ failure, and death.

Conclusion

Bird flu is essentially a disease which primarily infects birds. When shared to human beings, the virus poses severe health risks. The key ways through which bird flu spreads to human are direct contact with infected birds, eating raw poultry, and rarely from human-to-human. Man can minimize the dangers of this virus by avoiding touching sick birds, cooking poultry well, and keeping hygiene. Infectious diseases, such as bird flu, could only be controlled if the world becomes aware and vigilant.

Also Read:-