Avian/Bird Flu

Updated 11-27-22

Have you noticed the rising price of eggs at the grocery store? They are equal to, if not higher, than the novelty, organic and cage-free ones! I had written this Bird Flu article warning of this increasing issue a few months ago. Now that the effects are starting to be felt in the consumer’s pocket they are starting to take notice!

The poultry industry has been getting devastated for a while. Since October 2021 over 140 million birds have died due to Avian Flu in Canada, the United States and the EU. 

Currently, the most affected are turkey farms and egg farms. When I first wrote this article 24 million U.S. farmed birds had been culled (killed) due to bird flu in 2022.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), that number has doubled in just two months to over 50 million farmed birds dying from infection or culling due to Bird Flu. 

What Is Bird Flu?

Avian, or bird, flu is a Type A influenza virus that infects mostly aquatic birds. But it is showing up more and more close to home and in species not previously known to be infected. It may be mutating to infect humans on a larger scale. 

There are various strains of the virus circulating the world. It is highly contagious in ducks, geese, and other waterfowl. The virus spreads via direct contact with feces, mucous and respiratory droplets. Many birds, especially ducks, may not become ill but can still spread the virus. It can spread easily to domestic fowl such as chickens. 

It has spread to other domestic and zoo animals such as cats, dogs, seals, foxes, skunks, and tigers. 

The biggest concern is the recent mammal deaths due to a more virulent form of the virus, Eurasian H5N1. A dolphin in Dixie County, Florida was found dead in March 2022. It had high levels of the virulent form of H5N1 in its brain, causing its brain to swell. Then a porpoise in Sweden was found dead from the same virus in June 2022. The infection was found in multiple organs throughout their bodies.

These confirmed deaths were continents apart. This could indicate that the virus is getting closer to more human infection mutations. Remember humans are also mammals. It is already infecting humans but not in large numbers. 

This highly pathogenic form of this virus is the one currently infecting the farmed birds in the U.S.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has recently found the H5N1 in many species of wild birds, including eagles, throughout the entire US excluding only 5 states. 

Is Avian flu infecting humans?

Yes, as previously stated, there have been human infections. In addition to catching the virus from animals, humans can infect one another through direct contact. The first human-to-human transmission was reported in 2013 in China. 

Almost 900 known human infections have occurred worldwide since the first documented H5N1 virulent strain of bird flu outbreak in Southern China in 1996. It is important to note that bird “plagues” have been mentioned as far back as 1878 in Italy. The first human infection was reported in Hong Kong in 1997. Two of the most recent human infections were in the US and the United Kingdom, which are developed countries. There may be many other cases not known due to the lack of testing and resources elsewhere in the world. 

The United Kingdom infected person was positive for the bird flu in December 2021. They raised birds and were asymptomatic. It was unclear why they were tested. The other person was positive in April 2022. This person was participating in a cull of infected birds in the United States. Both patients survived. But this, in addition to the recent mammal deaths, should raise an alarm about this emerging disease. 

How can I get the Bird Flu?

Humans, just like animals, can catch bird flu by getting it in their mouth, eyes or nose. It is transmitted via direct contact with a surface the infected person or animal has touched and through direct contact with the infected person or animal’s saliva, mucous or feces. 

The following bird flu symptoms are the same as the yearly flu we know all too well. These symptoms may develop within 10 days of contact:

• Fever or chills, though this may not be present 
• Body aches
• Shortness of breath
• Diarrhea
• Cough
• Headaches
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Pink eye symptoms such as eye discharge and irritation

How can I prevent Bird Flu? 

Current CDC recommendations for the prevention of Avian/Bird Flu:

• Get a seasonal flu vaccine at least 2 weeks prior to any bird exposure. The vaccine does not prevent the avian/bird flu but it prevents getting sick with the Human and Bird Flu at the same time. 

• Avoid touching wild birds. Remember they may be carrying the virus and not ill or ill appearing.

• Isolate at home for at least 10 days if you do become ill with bird flu. Your family members should be tested and watched for symptoms for up to 10 days as well. Follow the CDC guidelines. 

• Cook poultry and eggs to 165 degrees F.

• Practice good hygiene. Keep your hands clean. 

• If you travel to a place where there is an outbreak do not visit any poultry farms and avoid areas where poultry is or may have been. 

• Do not approach a sick or dead bird. Contact your local government wildlife agency instead. 

• Bird owners and hunters are advised to wear protection for their hands, nose, mouth and eyes when handling any birds and to wash their hands with soap and water afterward. 

• Bird owners are asked to report any sick or dead birds to their local health authorities or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at 1-866-536-7593.

Please contact your local health authority for more in-depth steps you need to take for bird flu prevention. Talk to your doctor and local health authority immediately if you suspect you may have bird flu.

What is the treatment?

You can use the current flu antiviral medications available but they need to be started as soon as possible after infection. Antiviral medications work best when they are started within 36 hours of infection. Studies have shown that some forms of bird flu are becoming resistant to antivirals. A vaccine is currently being developed for the bird flu by the United States government.