When you’re studying headlines about hen flu and questioning what to do, you’re not alone. The gradual improve in circumstances has everybody involved in regards to the pandemic potential of this virus. However Patrick Jackson, MD, an infectious illness knowledgeable at UVA Well being, doesn’t assume there’s a lot for the common citizen to fret about, but.
Is Fowl Flu in Virginia?
Sure. The Richmond Zoo introduced that 2 of its cranes handed away because of the H5N1 hen flu.
This isn’t a shock to Jackson. “We’ve identified for a very long time that H5N1 influenza in its present pressure is extensively distributed,” he says. Finally, the lack of the cranes is one thing that’s a tragic however predictable consequence for animals who’ve contact with wild flocks.
The place Did Fowl Flu Come From?
Fowl flu was first described in 1878. It was described as a “fowl plague.” However in 1981, we began calling it the hen flu.
Fowl flu is definitely a type of influenza A, just like the swine flu. These viruses can cross species.
Are Folks Capable of Get Fowl Flu?
Sure. The primary bird-to-human transmission occurred in 1997. The primary case in the USA occurred in April of 2022.
In 2024, 67 folks in the USA had been identified with hen flu. 1 particular person in Louisiana died.
What Are the Signs of Fowl Flu?
Fowl flu has fairly normal flu-like signs:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Pink eye
However hen flu is especially regarding when extreme signs occur. These don’t happen in all circumstances. Once they do occur, they embody:
- Seizures
- Bother respiratory
- Very excessive fever (over 103 levels Fahrenheit)
- Organ failure (kidneys, liver, & coronary heart)
- Mind irritation
Feeling Underneath the Climate?
Whether or not it is hen flu or the usual selection, your major care physician will help.
Is Fowl Flu Critical in People?
Traditionally, virtually 50% of individuals contaminated with hen flu have died from it. However the signs from the present pressure look like milder. It’s additionally potential that gentle circumstances up to now have gone undetected.
Who Is at Threat of Fowl Flu?
Individuals who instantly work together with poultry or cows are essentially the most in danger. Of the folks contaminated in the USA, solely 4 didn’t work instantly with dairy cows or poultry.
Folks most in danger embody:
- Poultry employees, together with these working with chickens, geese, and geese
- Wildlife employees
- Veterinarians
- Folks with chickens or cows
- Folks with underlying well being circumstances, like bronchial asthma
- Folks consuming meals ready unsafely
Wait, It Can Infect Dairy Cows?
The present pressure of hen flu can infect dairy cows. That is the primary time that hen flu has been present in cows. Researchers have beforehand detected the virus in over 200 animals, together with lions, tigers, and bears. Oh my.
Are Different Animals at Threat?
Animals which have contact with birds or cows may also get sick. Most not too long ago, a number of cats have died after getting hen flu.
Cats can catch it in the event that they’re out of doors cats who hunt birds or in the event that they’re consuming uncooked hen meat that’s contaminated. A number of cats additionally died at a dairy farm after ingesting unpasteurized, or uncooked, milk.
How Can I Keep away from Getting Fowl Flu?
For most individuals, Jackson doesn’t assume any further precautions are wanted, except cows or birds are a daily a part of your life.
However for those who’ve bought a flock of yard chickens or routinely hunt, there are further items of recommendation.
”Shield your self utilizing acceptable private protecting gear. Individuals who have yard chickens ought to be actually conscious of how their chickens are doing and be very cautious in coping with any animals that look to be sick or animals which are useless. Use acceptable protecting gear when dealing with these. Hunters ought to take acceptable precautions when dealing with or dressing birds that they’ve caught,” Jackson says.
Will the Flu Vaccine Shield Me from Fowl Flu?
Sadly, no. The flu vaccine doesn’t defend in opposition to hen flu. However it does make it much less probably that you just’ll get the hen flu and the common flu on the identical time. That is clearly good for you, however it’s additionally good for everybody.
One of many issues that might make hen flu able to human-to-human transmission can be if hen flu and the common human flu combined. A hybrid bird-human pressure would enormously improve the chance of a pandemic. Thankfully, this isn’t a priority proper now.
What If I Know Somebody with Chickens?
As of proper now, person-to-person transmission hasn’t occurred. So long as you’re not dealing with their chickens and so they’re washing their arms, you have to be nice.
What About Consuming Hen, Eggs, and Dairy?
So long as you warmth your meals to above 165 levels Fahrenheit, you’re secure. Fowl flu can’t survive at that temperature. Neither can salmonella or E. coli, the extra frequent infections we get from improperly ready meals.
However, for positive, now is just not the time for runny eggs.
Do I Need to Warmth Up My Milk?
When you purchase milk out of your native grocery retailer, it’s most probably pasteurized. Pasteurization is a course of the place the milk is heated to eliminate microorganisms. It kills 99.9% of disease-causing microorganisms, together with the hen flu virus.
The place To Get Updates
When you’re involved about hen flu circumstances, the Virginia Division of Well being is posting about circumstances in Virginia. Additionally they have further sources for involved dairy farmers. These with yard hen flocks can try the CDC’s pointers for staying nicely whereas caring to your flock.