The bird flu is a communicable form of influenza that mainly affects birds. In sporadic instances, it can also affect humans. There are various strains of the bird flu virus which do not infect humans, but the notable strains that resulted to serious health concerns include H2N1, H5N6 and H7N9.
Even though these viruses do not infect and spread to humans easily, there have been reported cases of infection that resulted to death.
What are the indications?
Similar with the other forms of flu, the signs of bird flu often include the following:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose or cough
In some cases, the early symptoms in some individuals include diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, chest pain and bleeding from gums and nose which might arise abruptly.
In some cases, the early symptoms in some individuals include diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, chest pain and bleeding from gums and nose which might arise abruptly.
The time from infection to the manifestation of the symptoms is usually 3-5 days but can be up to 7 in some cases.
In just days of the manifestation of the symptoms, potentially deadly complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia and multiple organ failure might develop. Immediate treatment with antiviral drugs can prevent complications and lower the risk for death.
Management
An individual with possible symptoms of the bird flu is usually advised to stay at home or go to a healthcare facility to be isolated from other patients.
Other suggested treatment options include:
- Adequate rest
- Increasing the intake of fluids and a healthy diet
- Medications for fever and pain such as paracetamol and aspirin
Are antiviral medications needed?
Some antiviral drugs such as zanamivir and oseltamivir can lessen the seriousness of the condition, prevent the development of complications and improve the likelihood of recovery.
In case of regular flu, these drugs are highly effective if administered in 48 hours of the onset of the symptoms, but it is not fully determined if this is true for the bird flu.
The drugs might also be administered as preventive measure to individuals who have been exposed to the bird flu viruses.