What is bird flu?
Bird flu may refer to:
- Biology and disease
- Avian influenza - another name for bird flu or avian influenza
- H5N1 - the current
type of bird flu virus that is the worst pandemic threat
- Influenza A virus - the species of virus that causes all bird flu and one of the species that causes flu in humans and other
animals.
As Bird flu appears to be spreading worldwide, many of us worry that a flu pandemic may happen soon. But what
is the difference between human flu and bird flu? Does anyone know alittle bit of detail about it. What exactly is a flu pandemic? What has
it got to do with the spread of bird flu reported widely in the meida today?
What is it?
Human flu or influenza is an infection caused by the flu viruses. It is usually a more severe illness than the
common cold which is caused by other respiratory viruses.
Periodic outbreaks or epidemics of flu are caused by flu viruses that already circulate among
people.
Bird flu or avian influenza is a disease cuased by bird flu viruses. It affects wild birds and can make some
domesticated poultry, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.
The current outbreak of bird flu infecting poultry and now some humans is caused by avian influenza A
(HRN1).
A pandemic is an epidemic that occurs worldwide and affects large numbers of people.
Pandemics are caused by
- New types if flu viruses or
- Flu viruses that have never circulated among people or
Flu viruses that have not circulated among people for a long time but have acquired the ability to spread readily among humans.
- It differs from ordinary cold or flu viruses that already circulate among people.
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