Avian Influenza Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Bird Flu?

Like the "common flu", the bird flu (also called "avian flu", "avian influenza", and "bird influenza") is an influenza virus. The reason this virus is called the avian flu is because the virus originated in birds.

What is an Influenza?

Influenza (the "flu) is an illness with fever, headache, sore throat, cough and muscle ache caused by the influenza virus.

What is the Avian Influenza A (H5N1) strain of virus?

Influenza A (H5N1) virus – also called “H5N1 virus” – is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly to them. H5N1 virus does not usually infect people, but infections with these viruses have occurred in humans. Most of these cases have resulted from people having direct or close contact with H5N1-infected poultry or H5N1-contaminated surfaces.

Should I worry about bird flu viruses?

Bird flu rarely passes from birds to people. Humans have caught bird flu only through direct and close exposure to infected birds. Bird flu is not passed from person to person. If, however, the bird flu virus changes into a human virus, this new flu virus could rapidly pass from person to person leading to a flu pandemic in the human population. To date, this has not happened.

What are the Symptoms of avian flu?

Symptoms of avian flu infection in humans depend on the particular strain of virus. In case of the H5N1 virus, infection in humans causes more classic flu-like symptoms, which might include:

• Cough (dry or productive)
• Sore throat
• Fever > 100.4°F (38°C)
• Difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Malaise
• Muscle aches

If you think you have been exposed to avian influenza, call your health care provider before your visit. This will give the staff a chance to take proper precautions that will protect them and other patients.

What is a Pandemic?

Every year the common flu hits regions of the country. The flu virus begins very abruptly and within 6-10 weeks, the virus has subsided. This type of outbreak is called an epidemic, because it is confined to a geographic location.

A pandemic is when the flu breaks out at the same time across the entire globe. Its effects are rapid and potentially more disruptive.

Has a pandemic ever occurred before?

Pandemics are rare, but they are recurring events. They have typically occurred every 10 to 50 years throughout recorded history. Many of you may remember the Asian flu (1957-1958) and the Hong Kong flu (1968-1969). Both of these were pandemics.

How would a potential outbreak of Avian influenza affect animals?

Cats and other domestic animals are susceptible to AI infection although not always resulting in illness. In the first half of 2006 the WHO reported confirmed poultry outbreaks that have also resulted in cats and dogs being affected. The outbreaks were in Austria, Azerbaijan, Germany, and Romania. The virus has also been identified in pigs and tigers.

While the presence of the AI H5N1 virus has not yet been identified in North America, it is being recommended by Health Departments that if the virus does expand its reach to the US, pets should not be exposed to wild birds, domestic poultry, game birds, etc., and care should be used in cleaning any animal litter or handling dead animal or bird carcasses. As a potential carrier of the virus, it is not surprising that domestic pets could compromise human safety should they themselves become infected.

Clean Harbors provides the information contained herein solely for the purpose of keeping its employees, customers and others informed of the measures Clean Harbors is taking to respond to an outbreak of avian flu and provide potential sources of additional information about the disease. This communication should not be misconstrued or relied upon as a source for medical advice or as the resource for providing official government directives concerning the disease. Readers should access the official web pages of government agencies, some of which are listed herein as sources for Informaton about avian flu as well as other sources which may not be listed herein, as the official government source(s) for information on any outbreak of the disease. Clean Harbors will periodically update its information as it deems appropriate but is under no obligation to do so and cautions readers not to rely solely upon this web page as your sole source for information about the disease and its impact on individuals and organizations beyond Clean Harbors.