|
Avian influenza is a highly contagious disease for poultry and other birds and can lead to epidemics in animal populations. The risk of infection for humans has so far been low. About 170 human cases of the disease had been registered worldwide by February 2006. In almost all cases it was presumed that infection took place through direct contact with infected birds, their feces and respiratory secretions.
Cases of infection with the avian influenza virus from cooked or fried poultry meat or boiled eggs have not yet been documented. The virus is sensitive to heat and is destroyed by cooking or frying. Freezing, however, does not kill the virus!
Transmission of Avian Influenza to Domestic Animals and Humans
It is fundamentally possible for avian influenza to be transmitted to meat-eating domestic animals if they consume large quantities of the virus -e.g. when fed with poultry that has been infected or died from avian influenza. There are reports from Southeast Asia of large cats such as tigers and jaguars in zoos having caught the disease and died from it in this way. Domestic cats have been infected with the virus and caught the disease in experiments.Until February 2006, the only domestic cats that have been conclusively shown to be infected have been those found ill or dead in the intense epizootic of H5N1 in wild birds on Rügen island (Baltic Sea) in Germany. Infection or disease in dogs is not yet known. Generally speaking there are considerable barriers to transmission of avian influenza viruses from birds to mammals and humans - humans and mammals have to be exposed to very large quantities of the virus to become infected.
The virus could, however, attain the ability through constant mutation of its genetic material or through exchange of whole genes with human influenza viruses to infect humans more effectively than has been the case so far and above all to spread efficiently from human to human. Such a gene exchange could take place in a human who is infected with an avian influenza virus and a "normal" influenza virus at the same time.
Information for travelers
There is also a danger of avian influenza being spread by travelers from affected countries. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a travel advice reminding travellers of the following standard precautions to avoid avian influenza:
- To avoid contact with live poultry and wild birds
- To avoid visiting live animal markets and poultry farms
- To avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with animal faeces (droppings)
- To avoid handling birds found dead
- Not to eat or handle undercooked or raw poultry, egg or duck dishes
- To exercise good personal hygiene with frequent hand washing
Travelers have also been banned from importing poultry, poultry meat, eggs and other poultry products.
Useful Links:
|
