Seasonal influenza vaccination will not prevent infection with avian influenza A viruses, but can reduce the risk of co-infection with human and avian influenza A viruses. These people should also be monitored for illness during and after responding to avian influenza outbreaks among poultry.

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Does flu vaccine protect against avian flu?

The vaccine against human influenza virus does not protect against avian flu.

How can you protect yourself from bird flu?

Please refrain from touching dead birds with bare hands. Please avoid being near wild birds and observe them only from a distance. Meat and meat products (and eggs) should not be consumed unless they are thoroughly cooked. Please do not handle or touch domestic birds that are sick or dead.

Is there is any vaccine for bird flu?

“The Government of India has not permitted use of any vaccine against bird flu in the country. Further, it is gathered from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) that no such vaccine is approved in countries like the USA, UK, EU etc. to prevent/cure bird flu in birds,” he noted.

How is avian influenza treated in birds?

Treatment and Control There is no readily available treatment for Avian Influenza and most countries have a culling policy of affected birds. It is possible to produce a vaccine, but by the time this becomes commercially available the virus is likely to have mutated.

Can you catch bird flu by feeding wild birds?

It’s important to know that this bird flu is hard for people to catch. It does not easily infect people. So if you enjoy feeding backyard birds, go ahead. Clean and disinfect bird feeders regularly and wash your hands afterward.

How do you prevent bird flu in birds?

Thoroughly clean and disinfect housing and equipment such as feeders and drinkers regularly. Ensure that housing is secure with no gaps or water leaks that could provide a route for contamination into the housing. Minimise both direct and indirect contact with wild birds.

Can you get bird flu from a bird feeder?

There is no evidence of H5N1 having caused disease in birds or people in the United States. At the present time, there is no risk of becoming infected with H5N1 virus from bird feeders. Generally, perching birds (Passeriformes) are the predominate type of birds at feeders.

Can you get bird flu from eating chicken?

Can you get bird flu by consuming eggs and poultry? Scientifically, there’s little evidence to support the fact that bird flu can spread to healthy people via produce like eggs and meat. Any food item, egg or bird meat which is thoroughly washed and cooked is safe to eat and does not act as the carrier of the virus.

How long can bird flu survive on surfaces?

On the eve of the 2010-11 influenza flu season, scientists and engineers have identified the environmental conditions and surfaces that could enable a highly pathogenic (H5N1) bird flu virus to survive for prolonged periods of time — at least two weeks and up to two months.

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Is it safe to eat egg during bird flu?

The document suggests that proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside meat and eggs. Poultry meat and eggs from the areas affected by the outbreak of bird flu should not be consumed raw or partially cooked. Properly prepared and cooked poultry meat and eggs are safe to eat, the FSSAI said.

Is bird flu contagious to humans?

In general, bird flu is not very contagious to humans, even to poultry workers. However, human-to-human spread has occurred in isolated cases. In human outbreaks, the first individual to become infected usually has had contact with infected birds or poultry and then caregivers become infected.

How do you know if a bird has bird flu?

You may suspect your bird has avian flu if they stop eating, have laboured breathing, head swelling, discharge form their eyes or nose and diarrhoea. Sudden death is common. It is very unlikely that your indoor bird has avian flu but if you see these symptoms, contact your avian vet.

Is avian flu a disease?

Avian influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Avian flu viruses do not normally infect humans.

What are the symptoms of avian influenza in birds?

Highly pathogenic avian influenza Typically this form of the disease presents suddenly, often with very high mortality, with affected birds developing swollen heads, a blue colouration of the comb and wattles, dullness, lack of appetite, respiratory distress, diarrhoea and significant drop in egg production.

Why is avian flu a concern?

Some avian influenza viruses have caused rare, sporadic infections in people, resulting in human illness ranging from mild to severe. These viruses are of public health concern because of their ability to cause human illness and also because of their potential to cause a pandemic.

Can I get sick from my bird feeder?

The Salmonella bacteria are spread at feeders contaminated by feces, or by eating feed off the ground. Salmonella bacteria can also cause illness in humans and domestic animals. Sick birds cannot swallow feed because of an infection in the throat. Sick birds may starve to death.

Who is most prone to bird flu?

In some cases, bird flu can cause serious complications and death. As with seasonal flu, some people are at higher risk for serious illness. They include pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, and adults 65 and older.

Is it safe to eat fish during bird flu?

In restaurants and hotels, hardly anyone orders chicken, instead people prefer fish and mutton due to scare of bird flu. There might be a few cases but if you eat properly cooked chicken, it will cause no harm,” said the shopkeeper.

How do you catch avian flu?

Avian influenza spreads from bird to bird by direct contact or through contaminated body fluids and faeces. It can also be spread by contaminated feed and water or by dirty vehicles, clothing and footwear.

Is it safe to hand feed wild birds?

“There are absolutely times when feeding birds is not a good idea.” While it may be okay to let some birds hand-feed, observing them from a bird feeder is likely the safer route. Hand-feeding birds can alter their behavior in harmful ways. It may also potentially spread diseases to humans.

Why are birds getting sick from bird feeders?

Infected birds pass bacteria in their fecal droppings. Other birds get sick when they eat food contaminated by the droppings. Salmonellosis is the most common bird-feeder disease. The Trichomonads are a group of protozoan (one-celled microscopic) parasites that affect a broad variety of animals, including humans.

Is it okay to pick up a wild bird?

Handling an adult songbird Once you have the bird in hand, do not let her go; keep a firm (but not tight) hold on the bird. Don’t ever pick up a songbird by a wing, or by both wings, by the head, or by one or both legs — only by the body.

Is avian flu airborne?

Avian influenza viruses can be transmitted directly from wild birds to domestic poultry or indirectly e.g. through contaminated material. The virus spreads directly from bird to bird via airborne transmission or indirectly, through faecal contamination of material, feathers or feed.

Should we not eat chicken during bird flu?

Yes, it is safe to consume poultry meat and eggs. According to the WHO official site, there is no epidemiological data which suggests that the disease can be transmitted to humans through cooked food (even if the bird was contaminated with the virus before cooking).

Is it safe to eat turkey with bird flu?

You can’t catch bird flu through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with an outbreak of bird flu.

Can bird flu spread through boiled eggs?

The regulator also said the World Health Organization has stated it is safe to eat poultry meat and eggs and that there is no epidemiological data to suggest the disease can be transmitted to humans through cooked food.

Is H1N1 a bird flu?

A: In the last decade we’ve really had two major circulating forms of virus that we’re particularly concerned about — that is the avian flu, or bird flu, and the swine H1N1 virus. They are both influenza A viruses, but in terms of their genetic makeup and how they behave they are very, very different infections.