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:
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:
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