AKU educating people to address threat of bird flu

After recent identification of bird flu in certain parts of the country, the Aga Khan University (AKU) in an effort to alert and educate the people, is working with the government to address threat of bird flu.
AKU Bird Flu Committee, in a public service massage issued here on Thursday said that this massage is based on best science available on bird flu drawn from the WHO and the Centre for Disease Control. Avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses usually affect wild birds but now are infecting and causing serious disease among poultry, such as chickens. Human infections with H5N1 viruses are rare, but have occurred during 2003-2006 in Cambodia, China Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam, with many cases resulting in death.
The public service massage said that most cases of H5N1 infection in humans are thought to have occurred from direct contact with infected poultry in affected countries. Therefore, when possible, care should be taken to avoid contact with live, well-appearing, sick, or dead poultry and with any surfaces that may have been contaminated by poultry or their faeces or secretions. Transmission of H5Nl viruses to two persons through consumption of uncooked duck blood may also have occurred in Vietnam in 2005. Uncooked poultry or poultry products, including blood should not be consumed. Cooking poultry products kills the virus.
Countries that have experienced confirmed outbreaks of H5N1 infection among poultry and other birds in 2005-2006 include Pakistan, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds world-wide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird 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 influenza viruses in domestic poultry causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence.
Bird flu viruses do not usually infect humans, but more than 100 confirmed cases of human infection with bird flu viruses have occurred since 1997. Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from direct or close contact with infected poultry (eg domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected birds.
Symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms (fever, cough soar throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress syndrome), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of avian influenza may depend on which specific virus subtype and strain caused the infection.
A laboratory test is needed to confirm avian influenza in humans. This test is only available in a few speciality hospitals in the country at the current time. Two main risks for human health from avian influenza are the risk of direct infection when the virus passes from the infected bird to humans, sometimes resulting in severe disease and the risk that the virus - if given enough opportunities - will change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person.-PR