“Scientists of the Vector Center isolated the genetic material of this kind of bird flu in seven workers of a poultry farm in the south, where an outbreak in bird population was recorded in December 2020,” she said.
The top sanitary doctor in Russia indicated that this was the first confirmed case of humans infected with the A(H5N8) bird flu virus worldwide.
Avian influenza (Bird Flu) is not the same as the seasonal flu virus.
Avian influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. H5N8 is a subtype of the Influenza A virus and is highly lethal to wild birds and poultry, says the U.S. CDC.
Avian flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with avian flu viruses have occurred. The CDC does recommend that travelers to countries with avian influenza A outbreaks in poultry or people observe the following: Avoid visiting poultry farms, bird markets, and other places where live poultry are raised, kept, or sold; Avoid preparing or eating raw or undercooked poultry products, says the CDC.
As of February 20, 2021, there is no U.S. FDA authorized ‘Bird Flu’ vaccine.
Leave a Reply