by Betty Carew

Created on: February 04, 2009

Bird flu is also known as Avian flu, it is in the family of a type A influenza virus. The symptoms of bird flu can vary somewhat and the outcome can be from sickness to death. This flu can be found in either domestic or wild birds and is lethal to domestic birds and potentially lethal to humans. Hong Kong had the first reported case of the bird flu virus in 1997. The symptoms can seem like a regular flu virus but can turn very nasty and deadly. For your protection you should know the symptoms of bird flu in humans. The newest strain of bird flu is called H5N1.

Similar to human flu,

Researcher does not know the exact incubation period of bird flu in humans due to the small amount of humans who have contracted this disease. The symptoms of bird flu are so similar to that of other types of flu; it is a little difficult to tell the difference until the flu has progressed into the bird flu virus. There are some things that make bird flu stand out.

Symptom that are different,

Bird flu brings with it fevers as do all flu. You may experience sore throat and cough, headache and aching muscles but there are complications that go along with bird flu that can give you signals that it is not just the ordinary flu you have. If you develop eye infections, which are really irritating, pneumonia, including viral pneumonia, which is a chest infection, acute respiratory illness, where you have difficulty breathing and inflammation of the heart and brain then you can safely say you have bird flu symptoms.

See your doctor,

If you have been around birds before these symptoms came, you need to see your doctor. Be sure to tell your doctor that you were around these birds even if it was visiting a farm; the doctor will need to know this to make a correct diagnosis. If you have been to another country and experience these symptoms when you arrive home, you have reason to be concerned. One way bird flu can be contracted is by visiting a market or a farm where birds are kept; this could put you at risk for picking up this disease.

Human immunity,

The reason that bird flu can make such an impact on people is that once you have contracted the disease the human immunity, to this rare disease, may not have any defenses against a virus that previously only infected birds. This is what makes bird flu so dangerous. The body's immune system doesn't know how to fight off the virus. If the bird flu virus H5N1 can mix with the human flu virus, the combination of these could spread the disease very rapidly.

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