Bird Flu Symptoms in Humans

Bird flu (avian influenza) is a disease caused by an influenza virus that primarily affects birds. In the late 1990s, a new strain of bird flu arose that was remarkable for its ability to cause severe disease and death, especially in domesticated birds such as ducks, chickens, or turkeys. As a result, this strain was called highly pathogenic (meaning very severe and contagious) avian influenza and termed H5N1. A new strain of bird flu has been identified in China. The influenza A virus is termed H7N9 (H7N9 Chinese bird flu). The identification of the virus was reported Mar. 31, 2013; the new strain is different from the H5N1 bird flu virus.

What are the symptoms of bird flu in humans? Sometimes it starts like ordinary flu, with a bit of a cold, but that isn't absolutely invariable, some people start off with a cough, coughing from bird flu symptoms can be dry (wheezing cough that brings up no mucus) or productive (coughing that brings up and expels infected mucus) and can last for weeks after exposure. This is typical of most influenza infections but should be examined nonetheless and then become short of breath and develop muscle aches, unexplained muscle aches over the body are a serious symptom and should prompt an examination if experienced in conjunction with fever, nausea, diarrhea and headache. So getting a fever is a very important feature, if you haven't got a thermometer, you should get one and be able to measure your temperature and be able to note if it goes up to 38 degrees. If it's not you don't need to worry about it, it's probably a flu-like illness which is very common and which isn't necessarily due to bird flu.

Less severe symptoms can also include eye infections (conjunctivitis).

More serious symptoms of bird flu include Pneumonia, Acute respiratory distress, Viral pneumonia and other severe and life-threatening complications.

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So, What should you do if you have reason to suspect you're infected? You need to get to a medical facility that can look after you in terms of providing artificial ventilation if that's necessary, and one that can administer antiviral drugs, particularly in the early stages of the disease before the body goes into this cytokine storm phase; because it's only in that early phase that the antivirals are going to do anything. The treatment otherwise is supportive and to overcome any organ problems like lung failure and kidney failure from the virus spreading into those different parts of the system.