Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is an infectious disease of birds. Different subtypes of the Influenza A virus cause this flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most of the viral subtypes are only able to infect birds, some, most notably the H5N1 virus, have been able to infect humans. The disease has gained considerable attention because it is highly contagious among poultry, highly pathogenic in the human population and it is difficult to control. An inevitable side effect of this heightened awareness, and subsequent fear, is a number of myths concerning the bird flu.
Myth No. 1: It Only Affects Asia
A common myth about bird flu is that it is found only in Asia. This myth probably derives from the fact that the first known outbreak of the bird flu, which took place in 1997, occurred in Hong Kong. Subsequent outbreaks in 2001 and 2002 occurred again in Hong Kong. In fact, documented bird flu outbreaks were indeed limited to Asian countries until 2006, when cases were discovered in Egypt. Since then, despite being concentrated largely in Asia, countries in other parts of the world have been affected by bird flu outbreaks as well. The World Health Organization notes that as of 2010, countries outside of Asia that have had confirmed cases of bird flu in either the poultry or the human populations are Egypt, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey, Romania, Croatia, Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
Myth No. 2: It's a Death Sentence
A second myth about the bird flu is that every person who contracts the bird flu virus dies. In fact, the H5N1 virus is often, but not always, deadly. The Mayo Clinic reports that infection with the highly pathogenic form of the avian influenza virus has a more than 50 percent mortality rate. From 2003 to 2010, the World Health Organization reported 505 confirmed human cases of avian influenza worldwide, with 300 deaths. This corresponds to a mortality rate of approximately 60 percent during this period.
Myth No. 3: Humans Can Transmit it Easily
A third myth surrounding bird flu is that the virus transmits easily from person to person. In fact, there are extremely few cases of human-to-human transmission of H5N1. The World Health Organization details that spread of the virus from person to person has been limited to very close family contact, and that the virus has not been shown to spread from one person into the public. Instead, almost all bird flu infections in humans have occurred after direct contact with a sick bird or with the excretions (saliva, feathers or feces) from a diseased bird.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Key Facts About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus
- World Health Organization: Avian Influenza ('Bird Flu")
- Mayo Clinic: Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)
- World Health Organization: Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/ (H5N1) Reported to WHO
- World Health Organization: Avian Influenza Frequently Asked Questions
