Also called: Also called: Avian flu, Avian influenza, H5N1
Birds, just like people, get the flu. Bird flu viruses infect birds, including chickens, other poultry and wild birds such as ducks. Most bird flu viruses can only infect other birds. However, bird flu can pose health risks to people. The first case of a bird flu virus infecting a person directly, H5N1, was in Hong Kong in 1997. Since then, the bird flu virus has spread to birds in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Human infection is still very rare, but the virus that causes the infection in birds might change, or mutate, to more easily infect humans. This could lead to a pandemic, or a worldwide outbreak of the illness.
During an outbreak of bird flu, people who have contact with infected birds can become sick. It may also be possible to catch bird flu by eating poultry that is not well cooked or through contact with a person who has it. Bird flu can make people very sick or even cause death. There is currently no vaccine.
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Avian Influenza
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/avianflu/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/avianfluspanish/htm/index.htm - Pandemic Flu(Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://pandemicflu.gov/
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Avian Influenza Frequently Asked Questions(World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/
Also available in Spanish http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/es/index.html
- Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/bird-flu/DS00566/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- What Consumers Need to Know about Avian Influenza(Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/avfluqa.html
- Disaster Planning: 10 Things You Can Do to Stay Healthy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/disaster-planning/FU00011/METHOD=print
- Personal Protective Equipment and Influenza Outbreaks, Including Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ppe/fluoutbreaks.html
- Avian Influenza: Current Situation(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/current.htm
- Key Facts about Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm
- Spread of Avian Influenza Viruses among Birds(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/spread.htm
- Transmission of Influenza A Viruses between Animals and People(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/transmission.htm
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Avian Flu of Specific Interest to U.S. Servicemembers and Their Families(Force Health Protection & Readiness) - Links to PDF - http://deploymentlink.osd.mil/pdfs/info_servmem.pdf
- Avian Influenza (AI): Food Safety Prevention Measures(World Health Organization) - http://www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/WHO/Progs/FOS/Microbiological/20041019_1
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Interim Guidance about Avian Influenza A (H5N1) for U.S. Citizens Living Abroad(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentAvianFluAmericansAbroad.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSpanishAvianFluAmericansAbroad.aspx
- Interim Guidance for Airline Flight Crews and Persons Meeting Passengers Arriving from Areas with Avian Influenza(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentAvianFluArrivingFromAreas.aspx
- Ten Things You Need to Know about Pandemic Influenza(World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic10things/en/
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Traveler's Health: Outbreak Notice: Update: Human Infection with Avian Influenza A(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentAvianFluAsia.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSpanishAvianFluAsia.aspx
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Avian Influenza(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/avianflu/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/avianfluspanish/htm/index.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Influenza in Birds(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Influenza+in+Birds%22
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Questions and Answers: Avian Influenza Trials
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/QA/H5N1QandA.htm
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Researchers Model Avian Flu Outbreak, Impact of Interventions(National Institute of General Medical Sciences) - http://www.nigms.nih.gov/News/Results/08032005.htm
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Minimum dataset needed for confirmed human H5N1 cases. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18706687&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Border control measures in the influenza pandemic plans of six... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18670475&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Management of avian influenza H5N1--diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18661851&tool=MedlinePlus
- Bird Flu -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(influenza,+human[majr]+AND+influenza+A+virus,h5n1+subtype[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/en/
- Embargo of Birds from Specified Countries(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/embargo.htm
- National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza(White House) - http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza.html
- State Pandemic Influenza Plans(Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists) - http://www.cste.org/specialprojects/Influenzaplans/StateMap.asp
- Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A(H5N1)(World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/en/
- Bird Flu (Avian Flu)(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/infection/bird_flu.html
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Bird Flu (Avian Flu)(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/avian_flu.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/avian_flu_esp.html
- Bird Flu (Avian Flu)(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/colds_and_flu/bird_flu.html
- Animal Diseases and Your Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/animaldiseasesandyourhealth.html
- Flu - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/flu.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Bird Flu is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/