However Australians living in countries affected by bird flu should consider having access to a supply of antiviral medications to be used on medical advice.
This may include having a supply of antiviral medications in their home, particularly if they live some distance from urban centres and cannot therefore ensure access to antiviral medications stored locally. Be aware of the risk of bird flu if you are travelling to, or living in, a country where outbreaks are occurring in birds or humans.
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Careful prescribing of antibiotics will minimise the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Aspergillus is a fungus that commonly grows on rotting vegetation. It can cause asthma symptoms. The simplest form of prevention for lyssavirus is to avoid close contact with bats.
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Skip to main content. Home Infections. Bird flu avian influenza. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page.
How avian influenza virus is spread Symptoms of bird flu Complications of bird flu Tell your doctor if you have been to a country where there is bird flu Influenza viruses can mutate Australia is ready to respond to an outbreak Treatment and vaccines for bird flu Advice for travellers and Australians living overseas Where to get help Things to remember.
How avian influenza virus is spread Water birds such as wild ducks are believed to be the carriers of all avian influenza type A viruses. Symptoms of bird flu Although there have been too few human cases to determine the exact incubation period of bird flu, it would be expected to be from three to 10 days. The symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to those of regular influenza and include: fever sore throat cough headache aching muscles.
Complications of bird flu Bird flu in humans can cause a range of serious and potentially fatal complications, including: eye infections pneumonia, including viral pneumonia acute respiratory distress inflammation of the brain and heart.
Tell your doctor if you have been to a country where there is bird flu If you have recently returned from a country that had an outbreak of bird flu and you get flu symptoms, see your doctor immediately. Influenza viruses can mutate Influenza viruses that infect animal species can mutate and infect humans. Australia is ready to respond to an outbreak Federal and state governments have been working together to plan their response to an outbreak of bird flu.
Treatment and vaccines for bird flu Several antiviral medications used to treat human influenza are also effective for bird flu. Advice for travellers and Australians living overseas People making short visits to affected countries do not need to have antiviral medications.
Antiviral medicines help reduce the severity of the condition, prevent complications and improve the chances of survival. They are also sometimes given to people who have been in close contact with infected birds, or those who have had contact with infected people, for example family or healthcare staff. Bird flu is a notifiable disease in animals, so you should report any suspected case in animals to the Animal and Plant Health Agency APHA , even if you're not sure.
Call the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Defra helpline on 33 55 77 if you find dead wild birds. To prevent infection it is important not to touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find.
Read more about notifiable diseases in animals from GOV. Read more about how to spot bird flu and what to do if you suspect it from GOV. Page last reviewed: 03 August Next review due: 03 August Bird flu. But there are 4 strains that have caused concern in recent years: H5N1 since H7N9 since H5N6 since H5N8 since Although H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 don't infect people easily and aren't usually spread from human to human, several people have been infected around the world, leading to a number of deaths.
How bird flu spreads to humans Bird flu is spread by close contact with an infected bird dead or alive. This includes: touching infected birds touching droppings or bedding killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking Markets where live birds are sold can also be a source of bird flu.
Things you can do to prevent bird flu If you're visiting a foreign country that's had an outbreak you should: wash your hands often with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling food, in particular raw poultry use different utensils for cooked and raw meat make sure meat is cooked until steaming hot avoid contact with live birds and poultry What not to do: do not go near or touch bird droppings or sick or dead birds do not go to live animal markets or poultry farms do not bring any live birds or poultry back to the UK, including feathers do not eat undercooked or raw poultry or duck do not eat raw eggs There is no bird flu vaccine The seasonal flu vaccine doesn't protect against bird flu.
Symptoms of bird flu The main symptoms of bird flu can appear very quickly and include: a very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery aching muscles headache a cough or shortness of breath Other early symptoms may include: diarrhoea sickness stomach pain chest pain bleeding from the nose and gums conjunctivitis It usually takes 3 to 5 days for the first symptoms to appear after you've been infected.
When to seek medical advice Call a GP or NHS if you experience any symptoms of bird flu and have visited an area affected by bird flu in the past 10 days.
Treatment with antiviral medicines may make the illness less severe. They may also help prevent the flu in people who were exposed to it. There is currently no vaccine available to the public. The government does have a supply of a vaccine for one type of H5N1 bird flu virus and could distribute it if there was an outbreak that spread easily from person to person. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.
Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Learn More Related Issues Specifics. See, Play and Learn No links available. Research Clinical Trials Journal Articles.
Resources Find an Expert. For You Patient Handouts. Often, the symptoms are similar to the seasonal flu , such as Fever Cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Muscle or body aches Fatigue Headaches Eye redness or conjunctivitis Difficulty breathing In some cases, bird flu can cause serious complications and death.
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