Bird Flu Factsheet

what is bird flu?

This is a new virus illness caused by the influenza virus, strain H5N1.

how is it caught?

The virus is found in wild and domestic fowl in the Far East.

is there an epidemic?

No, at the time of writing less than 160 cases have been reported in humans.   The virus has only been detected in Asia and Western Europe.   To date no human infections have been reported outside Asia.

how is the virus contracted?

This virus, so far, does not appear to be transmitted from human to human, only from fowl to humans in country districts in the Far East.   In order to become an epidemic, this virus would need to be passed from human to human.

what is being done to control bird flu?

Most countries have banned the import of chickens from the Far East where there has been a large scale cull of poultry. A vaccine should become available in the future.

what treatment is available?

Oseltamivir ('Tamiflu') is an antiviral drug which can be used against influenza, both as a treatment, and as a preventative when bird flu virus is found in close family contacts. However, it has not been specifically tested against the H5N1 influenza strain.

does this illness have implications for travellers?

No, at the moment it is a very small scale outbreak and travellers to the Far East are highly unlikely to be affected, particularly if they do not travel outside the cities.

what effects does the bird flu virus have?

The symptoms are exactly the same as influenza which occurs commonly in the winter months: high fever, muscle aches, throat and chest symptoms and general malaise. The alarming difference with this virus infection is the apparent high mortality rate amongst its victims.

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