Bird flu continues to cause concern, with eight swans found dead at a Glasgow park in on Wednesday.
The sad sight was discovered by a local at Knightswood Park pond as the Scotland wide outbreak of avian influenza continues. The disease has circulated among bird population on a regular basis over the last two decades. But the current outbreak is the worst Scotland has ever experiences in terms of transmission and mortality rates as the disease has already killed tens of thousands of birds, according to the Scottish SPCA.
But bird flu be dangerous for humans? Can we catch it or can out pets be at risk? Here is everything you need to know.
READ MORE: Heartbreaking scene at Glasgow park as eight swans die in bird flu outbreak
Can humans catch bird flu?
There are various strains of bird flu, with most of them not able to infect humans.
However, there are four strains that have caused concern when it comes to human infection in recent years, according to the NHS.
These are:
- H5N1 (since 1997)
- H7N9 (since 2013)
- H5N6 (since 2014)
- H5N8 (since 2016)
Strains H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 do not infect people easily and are not usually spread from human to human. However, there have bene rare cases of infection throughout the world, with a number of deaths recorded.
In February 2021, H5N8 was found to have infected a small number of people for the first time, in Russia.
Can pets such as dogs and cats catch bird flu?
If you domestic animal, for example your cat or dog, goes outside and is exposed to a sick of dead bird, they could get infected.
If you pet eats part of a dead bird they find on a walk or sniffs an infected animal or even an environment contaminated with the virus, they could become infected, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is unlikely that you pet would become ill after exposure, but it is possible. Pets could potentially experience mild flu-like symptoms after prolonged exposure.
The best thing to do is keep an eye on your pet if you are concerned and call or visit your vet if necessary.
How does bird flu spread?
Bird flu is spread through close contact with an infected bird - either dead or alive.
According to the NHS, this includes:
- touching infected birds
- touching droppings or bedding
- killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking
Places like markets selling live birds can also be a source of bird flu and it is advised to avoid these places in areas where there has been an outbreak of the disease.
Can you catch bird flu through eating eggs and poultry?
It is important to note that you cannot catch bird flu through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even if there is an outbreak in the area the food has come from.
So, don't worry about avoiding chicken or ditching your morning boiled eggs.
Dos and Don'ts
There are things you can do to limit the risk. Remember, human infection is rare but if you are concerned, doing things like washing your hands thoroughly after handing raw poultry and making sure meat is cooked until steaming hot can help.
Dos
- 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
Don'ts
- 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
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of bird flu 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 takes around three to five days for symptoms to appear if you have been infected.
Severe symptoms can happen but they are rare. Within days of initial symptoms appearing, it is possible to develop complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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