The dangers of bird flu

Avian influenza is an infectious disease caused by type A influenza virus that occurs in poultry and wild birds. The virulence of different avian influenza virus subtypes varies greatly, and the virulence of different strains of the same subtype and the same strain when infecting different poultry is also different. Non-pathogenic strains and low-pathogenic strains often cause only mild respiratory symptoms after infection. However, highly pathogenic avian influenza spreads rapidly, has a short disease course, and has a high mortality rate (75% to 100%), causing huge economic losses.

This disease can be spread through a variety of diseases, and blood-sucking insects can also spread the virus. Under natural circumstances, viruses that exist in nasal secretions and feces have great protective power because they are protected by organic matter. 105 days after the elimination of sick chickens, the virus can still be isolated from wet feces. It can survive for 18 days in frozen poultry meat and bone marrow, and can survive for 18 months in frozen poultry meat and bone marrow. Influenza viruses can often be isolated from lakes and ponds with poultry. Viruses have now been isolated from guinea fowl, geese, pheasants, mynas, gulls, seabirds, etc. In artificial inoculation experiments, cats, ferrets, monkeys and humans can all be infected by influenza viruses from poultry. Therefore, preventing the outbreak of this disease is of great significance.