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How is avian influenza detected in humans?

BirdFlu123.com - Protective Bird Flu Masks, Gloves, Suits an...
Two main risks for human health from avian influenza are 1) the risk of direct infection when the virus passes from the infected bird to humans, sometimes resulting in severe disease; and 2) 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.
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VIASYS Healthcare, Inc. - Key Facts on Pandemic Preparedness
Avian influenza cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone, so a laboratory test is required. Avian influenza is usually diagnosed by collecting a swab from the nose or throat during the first few days of illness. This swab is then sent to a laboratory, where they will either look for avian influenza virus using a molecular test, or they will try to grow the virus. Growing avian influenza viruses should only be done in laboratories with high levels of protection.
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Can humans catch avian influenza from wild birds?

USGS National Wildlife Health Center - Avian Influenza - Fre...
While currently there are unconfirmed reports of people being infected with H5N1 from dead wild birds, exposure to domestic and wild birds potentially infected with H5N1 should be avoided. The only documented cases of transmission to humans are from poultry; these cases include both highly pathogenic and low pathogenic strains of avian influenza. the present time, close contact with infected domestic poultry has been the primary way that people have become infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus.
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Do avian influenza viruses infect humans?

Champlain College: Emergency Preparedness: Pandemic Flu
Avian influenza (bird flu) viruses do not usually infect humans, but a number of confirmed cases of human infection with bird flu viruses have occurred since 1997, usually in persons who had close contact with infected poultry. One bird flu virus strain known as avian influenza A (H5N1) has been of particular concern in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains situation updates and cumulative reports of human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1).
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What are the symptoms of avian influenza in humans?

Epidemiology & Disease Prevention - Cerro Gordo County D...
People infected with the current strand of the avian virus (H5N1) have shown everything from typical human influenza-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases, and other life-threatening complications. Symptoms of avian influenza may depend on which specific virus subtype and strain caused the infection. Experts believe it highly unlikely that a pandemic influenza virus could be created by terrorists.
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Is avian influenza transmissible to humans?

Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Animal Health - Fact Sheet...
Avian influenza (AI) viruses, such as the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus present in Asia, may, on rare occasions, cause disease in humans. Transmission to humans has occurred by people having close contact with infected birds or heavily contaminated environments. Due to the potential for human infection, it is recommended that those people working with or in contact with poultry suspected of being infected with AI wear protective clothing, including face masks, goggles, gloves and boots.
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Can avian influenza (avian flu) be transmitted to humans?

Pandemic Qu?bec
Avian influenza rarely causes disease in humans. The mechanism of transmission from birds to humans is poorly understood. Transmission to humans may possibly occur via direct contact with the excrement of contaminated poultry or birds. As yet, there is no evidence of transmission from one human to another. Vietnam and Thailand have reported human cases of infection with the H5N1 virus. There have been no human cases of H5N1 infection in Québec or Canada.
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What is Avian Influenza?

Avian influenza : Frequently Asked Questions
Avian influenza, or "bird flu" or "avian flu" is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide 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 and ducks, very sick and kill them.
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Avian influenza (such as H5N1, H9N2) is a type of influenza A. It was known previously to infect birds only, but 18 human cases caused by the H5N1 strain were documented in Hong Kong in 1997 and another two were documented in 2003.
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USGS National Wildlife Health Center - Avian Influenza - Fre...
Bird flu, the popular name for avian influenza (AI), is a disease primarily found in poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza can infect chickens, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl, as well as migratory waterfowl and shorebirds and, less commonly, mammals (pigs, horses, cats, and marine mammals). The virus can be spread through contact with fecal droppings, saliva, and nasal discharges of infected animals.
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Avian influenza - commonly called "bird flu" - is an infection caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally in birds. Wild birds can carry the viruses, but usually do not get sick from them, but some domesticated birds, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys, can become infected, often fatally. One strain of avian influenza, H5N1, is endemic in much of Asia and has recently spread into Europe. Avian H5N1 infections have killed poultry and other birds in a number of countries.
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Bird Flu FAQ Bird Flu
Avian influenza, or ???bird flu???, is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans. In domestic poultry, infection with avian influenza viruses causes two main forms of disease, distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence.
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San Diego Zoo: Avian Flu - FAQs
Avian influenza, commonly called “bird flu,” is an infection caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally in birds. Wild birds can carry the viruses, but usually do not get sick from them, but some domesticated birds, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys, can become infected, often fatally. One strain of avian influenza, H5N1, is endemic in much of Asia and has recently spread into Europe. Avian H5N1 infections have killed poultry and other birds in a number of countries.
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How have humans contracted avian influenza?

Crystal Farms - Welcome to the Heart of Dairy Country
Humans have contracted avian influenza through close and direct contact with infected birds. Most human cases have occurred in rural areas where many households keep small poultry flocks which often roam freely. There have been no known outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in North America.
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Is avian influenza dangerous to humans?

Bird Flu Info - B. Braun Melsungen AG
Avian influenza is an animal disease and dangerous mainly for birds. It is not very dangerous for humans. There are many different avian influenza viruses, most of which are completely harmless for humans. The avian influenza virus H5N1, which has now also been found in Germany, can infect humans. However, this happens very rarely and only in people who have intensive contact with infected poultry, in other words farmers and poultry breeders.
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Is there a vaccine for avian influenza in humans?

Frequently asked questions about Avian Influenza or Bird flu
Answer: Not yet. It is possible that a vaccine using the H5N1 strain of influenza may give partial protection if that strain changes and spreads more easily among humans. Prototypes of an H5N1 vaccine are being developed by several manufacturers around the world, including Australia’s domestic manufacturer, CSL Limited. The government is committed to buying a substantial amount of H5N1 vaccine as soon as it is proven safe and effective (see Section 3.
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Is there treatment for avian influenza in humans?

Frequently asked questions about Avian Influenza or Bird flu
Answer: The current anti-viral treatments, which are used successfully in the treatment of influenza, would be used in the treatment of avian influenza. What measures are being/will be implemented to screen travellers, students and business people arriving from overseas areas of concern for Avian Flu? There have been media reports of screening occurring at airports.
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How is avian influenza spread to humans?

Frequently asked questions about Avian Influenza or Bird flu
Answer: People need to have close contact with infected birds or poultry manure to get avian influenza. The virus is found in bird faeces and respiratory secretions. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the virus at this time.
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Can humans get avian influenza from other humans?

Inolesco: growth of the avian flu: June 11, 2006
It is possible for a human to acquire the H5N1 HPAI virus from another infected human if there is extremely close contact. However, scientists say that the virus has not yet developed the ability to pass easily from human to human, and human-to-human transmission is extremely unlikely.
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What are Avian Influenza symptoms in humans?

New Zealand
The exact symptoms, incubation period and duration of avian influenza in people are not known, because there have not been enough cases. Generally the symptoms are similar to those for people infected with human influenza virus, although the severity of the illness may differ. Symptoms generally appear three to seven days after exposure and can last up to seven days.
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What is the risk to humans or other species from cats infected with avian influenza H5N1 virus?

BirdFlu123.com - Protective Bird Flu Masks, Gloves, Suits an...
There is no evidence to date that cats can spread H5N1 to humans. No cases of avian influenza in humans have been linked to exposure to sick cats, and no outbreaks among populations of cats have been reported. All of the influenza A (H5N1) infections in cats reported to date appear to have been associated with outbreaks in domestic or wild birds and acquired through ingestion of raw infected meat.
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Can avian influenza affect humans?

Disaster Preparedness and Management - Pandemic Influenza
Yes, but rarely. The H5N1 virus has demonstrated a limited ability to spread from birds to humans. Despite circulating widely in bird populations in Asia for nearly two years, there have only been about 120 confirmed human infections, including 60 deaths (mostly in Vietnam). In all but a few of these cases, the infected patients have had close contact with infected birds.
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Can avian influenza in humans be treated?

Disaster Preparedness and Management - Pandemic Influenza
Human avian influenza infections can be treated with antiviral drugs including Tamiflu? and Relenza?, which are effective against all avian and human influenza A viruses.
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VIASYS Healthcare, Inc. - Key Facts on Pandemic Preparedness
Studies done in laboratories suggest that the prescription medicines approved for human influenza viruses should work in treating avian influenza infection in humans. However, influenza viruses can become resistant to these drugs, so these medications may not always work. Additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of these medicines.
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