In a rare case of bird flu, a person in Missouri was hospitalized with no known exposure to sick or infected animals, making it the first of such a case in the current outbreak, raising concerns about the human-to-human transmission of the virus, as per reports. The health officials weren't able to determine the source of the infection, however, the person has recovered.
Avian influenza has been spreading in the United States for some time now and the abovementioned case is the 14th case of bird flu, but the first that was contracted without known animal exposure. This has raised concerns about the existence of a new strain, however, it may be possible that the animal exposure could be without the knowledge of the person
Bird flu or avian influenza cases in humans saw an uptick recently when several dairy workers tested positive for H5N1 strain in the United States and the virus was detected in dairy cows. The previous human cases of bird flu were however reported in workers who had contracted the virus from sick animals or dairy farms. The latest case had no just known contact with a sick animal.
Most of the bird flu strains don't affect humans, however, four strains - H5N1, H7N9, H5N6, and H5N8 have sparked concerns in recent years, and have caused deaths in humans.
According to NHS UK, bird flu typically spreads in humans when you touch an infected bird, their droppings or bedding, kill or prepare an infected poultry for cooking.
Symptoms of bird flu
High temperature, chills, myalgia, body pain, cough and cold, and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of bird flu. One can also experience gastronomical symptoms like diarrhea, stomach pain, sickness, chest pain, nose and gum bleeding, and conjunctivitis. The early symptoms are likely to appear after 3-5 days of exposure.
Prevention tips
- Hand hygiene is of utmost importance if you have been handling raw poultry. Wash your hands properly with water and soap.
- Make sure to store meat with care and do not use the same utensils for cooked and raw meat.
- Cool the meat at the right temperature, till it's steaming hot.
- Avoid contact with live birds and poultry, and don't touch bird droppings or sick birds.
- Steer clear of undercooked or raw poultry or duck.
- Do not consume raw eggs.
