Avian influenza is flu infection in birds. The disease is of concern to humans, who have no immunity against it. The virus that causes this infection in birds can mutate to infect humans. Such mutation could start a deadly worldwide epidemic. Human influenza virus usually refers to those subtypes that spread widely among humans. There are only three known A subtypes of influenza viruses H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 currently circulating among humans. Influenza A viruses are constantly changing, and they might adapt over time to infect and spread among humans.

In initial stages, the bird flu or avian influenza manifests symptoms very similar to the common flu. Symptoms of bird flu in humans have ranged from typical flu-like symptoms fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress, and other severe and life threatening complications. Read the rest of this entry →

Symptoms of bird flu are very common and hence it becomes very difficult to diagnose if it’s bird flu or something else. It can be a simple eye infection or getting severe it may be fever, sore throat, cough, muscle soreness and weakness. In some severe cases, Pneumonia and acute breathing problems also accompany bird flu.

The major problem in bird flu diagnosis is that the tests that normal physicians do to diagnose bird flu may not differ from that of influenza case. Only specific state laboratories or special Disease Control and Prevention centers can perform the better testing.

Since diagnosis is not easily possible so a better idea is to have precautionary measures, i.e. avoid the areas where its outbroken, visit your doctor after visiting such areas, or if you’ve used poultry products during the outburst of bird flu. And, above all learn more and more about it, so that you can be ready to fight with it.