Bird Flu Information

Browse eMedTV's wide range of articles related to bird flu information including topics such as pandemic, bird flu in humans, and how does bird flu spread?. Use the search box at the top-right corner of the page to find information about other health topics.

 Read About 
Select a link from this list to read the article, or scroll down to see a short description of each article.
 
Description of Articles in Bird Flu Information

The bird flu is generally rare in humans, but there is concern that it may soon cause a pandemic. This eMedTV resource examines bird flu in humans and birds (especially the H5N1 strain), including transmission, symptoms, and treatment options.

Human infection with the avian flu virus is rare, and is often associated with contact with infected birds. This eMedTV article explains the avian flu virus in detail, including the various types and the potential threat posed to humans.

This eMedTV resource discusses H5N1, including where it is prevalent and how it spreads. Although the virus does not usually infect people, more than 130 human cases of H5N1 have been reported by the World Health Organization since January 2004.

Many people ask, "How does bird flu spread?" Bird flu spreads when infected birds shed influenza virus in their secretions and feces. This eMedTV article answers the question, "How does bird flu spread?" in detail and explains the risk to humans.

Typical influenza-like symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, and muscle aches, can occur with bird flu. This eMedTV article describes these possible signs and symptoms of bird flu in detail, in addition to the potentially life-threatening symptoms.

Bird flu in humans is rare, although there is concern over a growing number of cases in Asia. This segment of the eMedTV archives discusses bird flu in humans, how it is transmitted, and current work on a vaccine.

A bird flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new virus strain that causes serious human illness and spreads easily from person to person. This eMedTV article describes bird flu pandemic in detail, including the stages and phases of a pandemic.

A pandemic is an infectious disease affecting the majority of the population of a large region. This eMedTV article takes an in-depth look at what is and isn't a pandemic and provides links to specific pandemics throughout history.

In order to distinguish between an epidemic and a pandemic, there are six phases that make up pandemic stages. As this eMedTV segment explains, these pandemic stages occur in three separate periods (interpandemic, pandemic alert, and pandemic).

While there is no bird flu vaccine available yet to protect against the H5N1 strain of the virus, development efforts are underway. This eMedTV article discusses antiviral drugs (such as zanamavir) that are available in lieu of a bird flu vaccine.