Avian Flu

Avian Influenza is a viral disease that all animal handlers & carers should be aware off, especially if you are working with avian species held in a domestic, farm or wildlife environment. Avian flu has the potential to spread at an alarming rate so an understanding & awareness of this disease can be a huge advantage in helping to stop the spread of this life threatening illness.

This infectious agent is highly contagious in birds & is known to become a zoonotic risk to animal personnel when wild bird carriers infect domestic birds. Some of the domestic source animal hosts include ducks, geese, fowl, turkey’s guinea fowl, quail & pheasants, with ostriches now listed as suspect carriers.

Many wild bird species can carry this disease, often without showing any signs of ill health. Some of the known wild bird carriers include waterfowl, sea birds & terns.

Some of the signs that an infected bird may display include oedema of the comb & head, haemorrhages present on the comb & feet, diarrhoea and depression followed by death. The disease is spread between wild & domestic birds via direct contact of infected bird faeces that has contaminated water troughs, feed stations, cleaning equipment or personnel clothing. Generally avian influenza does not infect humans unless it has had a chance to mutate into the H5N1 subtype. This is the strain that is infecting and killing animal handlers in South East Asian. Human death numbers at this stage are low but there is concern in the medical profession that this disease has the potential to become a pandemic in the near future if not managed carefully.

For regular updates on Avian Influenza go to the websites

U.S.A. Centre for Disease Control

World Organisation for Animal Health

Best Practice Zoonoses DVD & comprehensive PDF Manual for Wildlife personnel

Avian influenza will generally present itself with in 3-5 days of exposure so setting up sound bio-security protocols can help to reduce the risk of exposure to healthy stock.

Some Bio Security management plans may include:

• Increasing quarantine periods from 30 up to 60 days.

• Routine testing of all birds (Tracheal & Cloacal swabs)..

• Use of effective disinfection regimes.

• Disinfectant Footbaths & the use of Gum boots to avoid disease outbreaks..

• Safety equipment supplied & used by personnel, including quality assured face masks, use of gloves & coveralls..

• Only accepting birds from known origins that are disease free for Avian influenza..

For information on Biosecurity & useful disinfectant

For information on useful safety equipment

Update info & Recent cases of the H5N1 virus

2004, Thailand - Tigers & Leopards exposed to H5N1 by eating infected bird carcases.

2004, Netherlands - Other domestic felids may also be a potential risk. Lab studies were performed on domestic cats that were infected with the H5N1 disease. These felids were exposed to the virus intra-tracheally or via ingestion of infected bird carcases. The cats excreted the virus, developed symptoms of the disease & were able to transmit the disease to fellow companions cats.

2005, Evidence indicates that the virus may be transmissible between person-to-person contact, which is a real concern about global spreading & pandemics.

2005, Scientists are currently working on an effective H5N1 Vaccine as a public health prevention & control in reducing the risks of pandemic outbreaks of avian influenza.

2006, 24 countries had reported outbreaks of H5N1 in domestic poultry

2007, 18,000,000 doses of A1 vaccines sent to a number of African countries (Poultry-Preventative medicine program) Vaccines were provided by OIE

2007, Launch of new OIE Avian Influenza web Portal

2007, April 17 countries have reported outbreaks of H5N1

People who are showing early symptoms of Avian influenza, or those who risk exposure in their workplace, may wish to consider the use of the anti viral drugs Tamiflu & Relenza either as a treatment or to help prevent infection.

If you would like to learn more about Avian Influenza or other Zoonotic Diseases. Then you might be interested in Volume 9 Zoonoses Produced by Animals on Film. This program includes a DVD & comprehensive CD Rom on Infectious Diseases. To learn more about this program go to ZOONOSES.