Bird Flu

Birds, just like general public, get the flu. Bird flu virus infects birds, including chickens, other fowl and wild birds such as geese. Most bird flu viruses can only contaminate other birds. However, bird flu can pretense health risks to people. The first case of a bird flu virus infect a person directly, H5N1, was in Hong Kong in 1997. Since then, the bird flu virus has increase to birds in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.

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

During an outburst of bird flu, people who have contact with contaminated birds can become sick. It may also be potential to catch bird flu by eating poultry that is not well safe to eat or through contact with a person who has it. Bird flu can make public very sick or even cause death. There is presently no vaccine.