Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)

Bird Flu (Avian Influenza) Main Page

Avian Flu (Avian Influenza)

Complications

Most people with bird flu have signs and symptoms of conventional influenza. Some also develop life-threatening complications such as viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which causes the air sacs in your lungs to fill with fluid rather than with air, leading to severe breathing difficulties.

But the greatest complication of bird flu is still hypothetical — the emergence of a new viral strain that spreads easily from person to person. If a person were simultaneously infected with human and bird flu viruses, the reassortment of genetic material could produce an entirely new subtype with a preponderance of human genes. This could make the virus highly contagious and, with no natural immunity among the world population, especially lethal.

So far this hasn't happened. A few cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred, but they were limited in scale. Still, some health officials fear it's just a matter of time before avian viruses figure out a way to way to spread easily among people.

[Homepage] [Software] [Search]

© Copyrights PakMed Biomedical Solutions

Optimized for Java-script enabled Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, at screen resolution of 800 by 600 pixels.

Microsoft and the Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.