What is H5N1 Avian Flu?
Avian influenza (AI) or bird flu, is an infectious disease in birds caused by viruses. Although most Avian influenza viruses do not usually infect humans, there are certain viruses such as A(H5N1) and A(H7N9), that cause deadly infections in people. A highly pathogenic avian flu virus, H5N1 viruses quite often infects wild aquatic birds, domestic poultry and various other species of birds and animals, including chicken, turkey, duck, and geese. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since 2003, 15 countries have reported 650 human infections caused by highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses. Around 60% of the people died from the disease. 62 human H5N1 cases and 34 deaths were reported in 2011 from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, and Indonesia.
How does it spread to humans?
H5 N1 virus has always caused deadly outbreaks of Avian flu in domestic poultry in different parts of Asia and the Middle....
