Influenza (The Flu)

Avian Influenza or 'Bird Flu'

Avian influenza, or 'Bird Flu', is a viral infection that can spread easily and quickly among birds. It can affect several species of food producing birds such as chickens, turkeys, quails and guinea fowl. Some strains of the virus can lead to serious illness in humans.

Answers to Keep You Informed

• Why are some domestic birds and people getting sick?
  
  Right now there is a strain of bird flu called H5N1 circulating throughout Southeast Asia and parts of Europe . This particular strain of flu will kill most domestic birds it infects, including chickens, ducks and geese. Avian influenza viruses such as the H5N1 virus can, on rare occasions, infect people. To date, most human cases have been linked to direct contact with infected poultry. This contact often includes exposure to the virus during the slaughter, de-feathering and preparation of poultry for cooking.
  
  
• Should I avoid eating domestic poultry or eggs?
  
  There is no evidence to suggest that people can become infected with bird flu by eating cooked eggs or birds like chickens, ducks and geese. It is important that meat, poultry and eggs are always well cooked. You should wash your hands (or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) when cooking. You should keep meat, eggs and poultry away from other food when they are stored in your fridge and when you are cooking with them.
  
  
• Do First Nations and Inuit in Canada need to be concerned?
  
  Although the risk of catching bird flu is very low, hunters and people who prepare and cook traditional foods, including wild birds, should take the following precautions to help reduce any risk:
  
  
  • Do not handle or eat sick birds or birds that have died from unknown causes;
  • Avoid touching the blood, secretions or droppings of wild birds;
  • Do not rub your eyes, touch your face, eat, drink or smoke when cleaning wild game birds;
  • Keep young children away when cleaning game birds and discourage them from playing in areas that could be contaminated with wild bird droppings;
  • When preparing game, wash knives, tools, work surfaces and other equipment with soap and warm water followed by a household bleach solution (0.5% sodium hypochlorite);
  • Wear water-proof household gloves or disposable latex/plastic gloves when handling or cleaning game;
  • Wash gloves and hands (for at least 20 seconds) with soap and warm water immediately after you have finished preparing game or cleaning equipment. If there is no water available, remove any dirt using a moist towlette, apply an alcohol based hand gel (between 60-90% alcohol) and wash your hands with soap and warm water as soon as it is possible;
  • If clothing and shoes become soiled when handling a bird, keep them in a sealed plastic bag until they can be washed;
  • Thoroughly cook poultry/game meat by ensuring that inside temperature reaches 85°C for whole birds or 74°C for bird parts (for example: no visible pink meat, and juice runs clear); and
  • Never keep wild birds in your home or as pets. If you become sick while handling birds or shortly afterwards, see your doctor. Tell your doctor that you have been in contact with wild birds.

In addition, if you often hunt or handle wild birds, you should consider getting an annual vaccination against seasonal human influenza. This vaccination will not protect you against bird flu, but it will reduce the likelihood that you will become infected with both human and bird flu strains at the same time. This will limit the chances of flu viruses mixing to create a new strain of flu virus to which people have little or no immunity.

It is considered safe to hunt, handle and eat healthy wild birds if these precautions are taken.

For further information on avian influenza and human health, check out the:

• What First Nations People and Inuit Need to Know About... Avian Influenza or "Bird Flu" Fact Sheet;
• Tips for consumers on safe handling of poultry and poultry products;
• Public Health Agency of Canada's Avian Influenza page; and
• Health Canada's It's Your Health Article on Avian Influenza.

Seasonal Influenza (Human Flu)

Avian influenza is one of several types of influenza viruses. Seasonal influenza, or human flu, is a respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus.

Various strains of the virus circulate throughout the world year-round causing local outbreaks. In Canada, flu season usually runs from November to April and an estimated 10-25% of Canadians may get the flu each year.

Unlike avian influenza, which is not spread among humans, a person can get seasonal flu by:

• Being in close contact (under 3 feet) with a person who is sneezing and coughing out infected droplets or secretions;
• Shaking hands with an infected person; or
• Touching a contaminated surface and then touching one's own eyes, nose or mouth.

For further information on seasonal flu, visit Health Canada's It's Your Health article on the"flu". Learn what you can do to prevent the flu from the Canadian Health Network's article  Getting serious about the flu - What you can do to prevent it.

Pandemic Influenza

People are exposed to different strains of influenza virus many times during their lives. Even though the virus changes, previous bouts of influenza may offer people some protection against infection caused by a similar strain of the virus. However, three to four times each century, for unknown reasons, a radical change takes place in the influenza virus causing a new strain to emerge.

Pandemic Influenza is a new strain of influenza that spreads quickly worldwide. It is carried and spread among humans the same way as seasonal flu, and humans have no immunity against it. At this point, there is no pandemic influenza outbreak among humans.

For more information:

• Visit the  Pandemic Influenza Portal for one-stop access to information from Government of Canada departments and agencies on pandemic, avian and seasonal influenza;
• See the Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic - It's Your Health article; and
• Visit the  Public Health Agency's Pandemic Influenza page.