Avian influenza

Avian influenza virus, its symptoms, prevention, risks and recommendations for travellers.

Symptoms of avian influenza

People usually develop symptoms of avian influenza 1 to 5 days after exposure, though it's sometimes longer. Early symptoms of most strains are similar to seasonal flu.

They include:

fever
cough
headache
aching muscles
shortness of breath

Other early symptoms associated with the H5N1 strain include:

fatigue
diarrhea
runny nose
sore throat
bleeding gums
conjunctivitis (red, watery eyes)

Some people infected with avian influenza don’t develop any symptoms.

Depending on the strain, avian influenza can make you seriously ill.

These strains include:

H5N1
H5N6
H7N9

Avian influenza can progress rapidly, leading to:

severe respiratory illness, which can include:
- pneumonia
- difficulty breathing
- acute respiratory distress syndrome (life-threatening lung condition)
neurological changes, such as changed mental state or seizures

In severe cases, it can lead to multi-organ failure, including kidney and liver dysfunction and heart failure. This can lead to death.

The mortality rate for avian influenza infections is often much higher than seasonal flu infections. It can be higher than 50%.

If you become ill

If you develop symptoms of avian influenza, call a health care provider.

When you make an appointment, tell them:

your symptoms
where you have been travelling or living
if you had direct contact with possibly infected birds or mammals
if you had close contact with a sick person

The health care provider may provide you with additional guidance to follow during your appointment.

Wear a mask if fever or respiratory symptoms develop.

Treating avian influenza

You can treat avian influenza with antiviral medications. It’s important to take them as early as possible, ideally within 48 hours of getting sick.

They can:

reduce influenza symptoms
shorten the length of illness
potentially reduce serious complications

If you have a severe infection, you need to go to the hospital.

How avian influenza spreads

Birds spread avian influenza viruses through their feces, mucus and saliva.

Most human infections occur after close contact with infected birds or highly contaminated environments, such as:

poultry farms
live bird or animal markets

Avian influenza virus can be:

in the air in droplets
in dust or feathers
on contaminated surfaces or objects

You can become infected if:

you inhale the virus when it’s in the air in droplets, or in dust or feathers
the virus gets into your mouth, nose or eyes
you touch something that has the virus on it and then touch your mouth, nose or eyes

Avian influenza viruses can spread easily between birds, but they don’t spread easily to mammals, including humans. There have been rare reports of mammal-to-human transmission of some strains of avian influenza. There have also been some reports of possible limited human-to-human transmission in some parts of the world, but there’s no evidence of ongoing transmission between people.

Avian influenza doesn't spread through eating thoroughly cooked poultry, game meat or eggs.

Safe cooking temperatures

Preventing avian influenza

Getting the seasonal flu vaccine can reduce the chance of getting sick with both human and avian influenza viruses. However, it doesn’t prevent avian influenza.

There are steps you can take to reduce your risk of exposure.

Make sure to avoid:

high-risk areas such as:
- poultry farms
- live bird and animal markets
- areas where poultry may be slaughtered
- areas where other infected animals have been reported
surfaces that may have bird droppings on them
contact with alive or dead wild, farm and backyard birds, including:
- turkeys
- chickens
- domestic ducks

Make sure to thoroughly cook all poultry dishes, including eggs.

Meat, poultry, fish and seafood safety

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for 20 seconds or until dry.

Clean your hands to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases

Cover your mouth and nose with your arm to reduce the spread of germs. If you use a tissue, dispose of it as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.

Who is most at risk

Avian influenza is a concern in many countries. The risk of infection for most travellers who have limited contact with infected animals is low.

Travellers at highest risk are those who will be:

visiting:
- poultry farms or flocks
- live bird or animal markets
working with poultry, such as:
- turkeys
- chickens
- domestic ducks
working with wild or farmed mammals, especially those that are commonly fed raw meat or eat wild birds, such as:
- seals
- mink
- foxes
- skunks
- raccoons
hunting, de-feathering, field dressing and butchering wild birds and wild mammals
working with wild birds or mammals for activities such as research, conservation or rehabilitation

Recommendations for travellers

Talk to a health care provider or visit a travel health clinic preferably about 6 weeks before your departure date to get personalized health advice. Even if your travel date is coming up soon, it's still worthwhile to make an appointment.

Before travelling, check all travel advisories for your destination.

Travel advice and advisories

Information for health professionals

Avian influenza is a contagious viral infection. It mainly affects birds but can sometimes infect humans and other mammals.

Illness is caused by infection with influenza type A viruses, which are further classified into subtypes, such as:

H5N1
H7N3
H9N2

Some of these virus subtypes, such as H5N1 and H7N9, have caused serious illness in humans.

Wild birds throughout the world are natural carriers of certain avian influenza viruses. These viruses can infect domestic poultry, often causing the birds to die and potentially leading to widespread outbreaks.

Avian influenza has been reported in many countries around the world. Outbreaks in birds and other animals have occurred in parts of:

Asia
Africa
Europe
the Americas

Reports on avian influenza in birds and other animals:

World Animal Health Information System
Global avian influenza viruses with zoonotic potential situation updates (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

Reports on cases of avian influenza in humans:

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