7 Myths about Bird Flu

• In wild birds this virus, called the H5N1virus, is just an inconvenience similar to the flu in a healthy human, but when domestic poultry or humans become infected this flu can have devastating results in some individuals.
• Frequent hand washing and disinfection procedures should be done to protect against any bacteria and viruses present.

The bird flu has been in and out of the news headlines a lot in the last few years, and this infection has been fatal to a number of people who were infected. There are more cases being seen of human transmission from an infected person, where no birds were involved. In wild birds this virus, called the H5N1virus, is just an inconvenience similar to the flu in a healthy human, but when domestic poultry or humans become infected this flu can have devastating results in some individuals. There are some myths about this virus that need to be corrected so that you have all the facts. This is the best way to protect yourself and your family from this dangerous viral infection. Frequent hand washing and disinfection procedures should be done to protect against any bacteria and viruses present.

Myth #1: Eating Infected Poultry or Eggs Can Cause Bird Flu

Medical experts all agree that eating poultry, even infected poultry, can not cause you to become infected with the bird flu. When poultry is cooked, the heat will kill off the virus responsible for the bird flu. Fortunately for humans, the H5N1 virus is very susceptible to heat, so cooking makes the meat safe to eat whether the bid had the virus or not. The same is true of eating eggs. Just make sure to cook these items very well, and there is no way the virus can live in that environment.

Myth #2: Being a Vegetarian Can Protect You from Bird Flu

Some health food and vegetarian advocates have said that if meat and animal products not eaten, then these types of viruses would not be a threat, but this is false. Eating poultry is safe as long as it is cooked, and there have been cases of the virus being spread by infected humans and through infected fruits or vegetables, like strawberries. Removing meat or animal products from your diet will not help protect you from the bird flu.

Myth #3: Using Antiviral Drugs Will Prevent Bird Flu

Many people believe that frequently taking antiviral medications will prevent the bird flu, but the exact opposite is actually true. Unless you have a specific reason for believing you were exposed, such as contact with a known infected person, taking antiviral drug without any signs or symptoms may cause serious harm and will not do any good. Overuse of these drugs allows the virus to mutate, so they will not work when you do actually need them.

Myth #4: The Bird Flu Could Not Happen in America, Only in Foreign Countries

This myth is absolutely false, and there have been outbreaks of H5N1 in America, including a small area of Texas. In these cases all proper medical precautions were taken and the spread of the virus was effectively stopped. The patients who were infected in the rare cases in the USA suffered varying degrees of damage from the infection, up to death. With the abundance and constant travel in and out of the country by business workers and people on vacation, even an infection halfway around the world can have a profound affect on the USA.

Myth #5: Bird Flu Can Only Be Caught from Poultry

Many people assume that because the H5N1 virus is called the bird flu that it can only be transmitted from birds and poultry, and this is a big mistake. There have been cases of the virus being transmitted from an infected person to a healthy uninfected person, with no bird involvement at the time. This is frightening, because if this becomes common it can lead to a bird flu epidemic.

Myth #6: The Bird Flu Is Extremely Lethal to All Birds

There are many birds that have been infected with the bird flu and do not show very many symptoms, if any at all, and the virus seems more like a common cold would to us. These are migratory wild birds, and it is unknown whether these birds have an acquired immunity as part of the flock and previous exposures to the virus or not. Migratory birds with this virus then infect poultry and domesticated birds, and this is when the virus becomes lethal.

Myth #7: There Is a Bird Flu Vaccine

Scientists are researching a bird flu vaccine, but as of right now there is not one available. In addition, the common antiviral drugs are no longer as effective because of changes in the virus due to overuse of the drugs. This means that if a epidemic hits, the weapons we have may not be enough to stop it. There are new antiviral drugs being researched right now, but they are not close to the market yet.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.