Current Issue #3- Avian Influenza

Also known as Bird Flu, Avian Influenza was all over our front newspapers at one point and is still an issue that continues to be carefully monitored by organisations such as DEFRA. It is a contagious disease that is spread virally and can affect the nervous and respiratory systems of many species of bird. People may become affected by certain strains of the influenza virus, however this is a very rare occurrence. This disease is not air-borne therefore can only be contracted by the contact of an infected animal and a non infected animal.

There are known to be two different types of the avian influenza virus, these are categorised as Low Pathogenic Influenza (LPAI) and High Pathogenic Influenza (HPAI). LPAI strains of the influenza do not always cause any visible symptoms in the bird whereas strains of HPAI can spread quickly through a population often leading to a high mortality rate. The symptoms a bird shows if infected with a strain of HPAI  include oedema,  loss of appetite, respiratory problems and a fall in egg production and the birds sometimes die on the first day of showing these symptoms.

To prevent the disease spreading through a flock good biosecurity measures should be taken such as insuring wild birds do not come into contact with the flock, regularly checking birds for signs of the disease, and ensuring birds are kept in clean housing. If any signs of the disease are observed the owner of the flock must report to the AHVLA immediately. 

The potential pandemic strain that the newspapers reported back in 2009 was the strain H5N1, with 306 people reported by WHO to have died from contracting the disease. There is still a fear however that if the strain were to mutate further it could become transmittable between humans, thus scientists are currently working upon understanding the disease further and its potential to mutate. Several domestic animals such as cats, dogs, ferrets and pigs have also been documented as having contracted a variation of the H5N1 strain, making it a concern for both veterinarians and doctors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_influenza
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/AvianInfluenza/
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/bird-flu/
Image:  http://www.gatewaygreening.org/blog/?tag=urban-chicken