What is “Bird Flu”?
Bird Flu” or Avian Influenza is a highly contagious viral disease that can classified as either low pathogenic (low mortality) or high pathogenic (up to 100% mortality). Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza like the common flu in humans is a common annual event in birds. High Pathogenic Avian Influenza like the H5N1 virus circulating in Asia, Europe, and Africa is less common.
Avian flu, also called bird flu, is flu that originally occurs in birds such as chickens, ducks, waterfowl, and other species. Outbreaks of various avian flu viruses have occurred on several continents including North America in the last five years. A serious new strain of avian flu, called H5N1, has been found in birds in Africa, Asia, and Europe, with the highest concentration of the disease in Southeast Asia. It is transmitted from bird to bird. As wild birds migrate, they spread the disease to wild and domesticated birds in other countries. The ongoing outbreak of avian flu H5N1 has resulted in the killing of millions of chickens and other domestic birds to control the spread of the disease.
