What is avian influenza? How does it spread?

this Avian Influenza it is an infectious disease Mainly affects birds and is caused by viruses in this family OrthomyxoviridaeThe Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) states that influenza and common influenza belong to the same family.

Depending on its subtype, it can be classified as low pathogenic (i.e., it causes severe symptoms in a small number of infected people) or highly pathogenic (it causes mild to severe symptoms in all infections), the agency reported.

“Low pathogenic avian influenza virus May cause mild illness, which may go unnoticed in the absence of symptoms. This highly pathogenic virus, caused primarily by subtype A (H5 and H7), causes severe disease in birds and spreads rapidly, resulting in high mortality in different species,” PAHO noted.

According to the organization, Most influenza viruses circulating in birds are not zoonotic (Those substances that originate from animals and can be passed to humans). However, some highly pathogenic strains have the ability to infect humans and threaten public health.

Avian influenza is a notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) because it can infect different species of animals and humans.

In addition to domestic and wild birds, This infection can affect rats, cats, dogs, horses, pigs and other mammals. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock explains on its official website that, generally speaking, this includes animals that do not live on land, such as wolves and sea lions.

The organization emphasized that this seabird and wild are the most common hosts This type of flu.

However, it emphasizes that some activities, such as fairs or markets for the sale of live birds (and even illegal trafficking), help increase the likelihood of transmission and genetic recombination between different types of avian influenza viruses.

According to the Pan American Organization, the most common way the virus enters territory is through migratory birds.The main risk factors for transmission to humans are Direct or indirect contact with infected animals or contaminated environments and surfaces through the feces of these animals.

“Plucking, handling carcasses, and preparing infected birds for consumption, especially in domestic settings, may also be risk factors,” explains PAHO.

In humans, symptoms may include mild upper respiratory tract infection, which can lead to fever and cougheven severe pneumonia, Difficulty breathing (acute respiratory distress syndrome), shock and even death, the entity concluded.