An estimated 160 people have contracted the H5N1 strain of the flu, and about half of them have died. In an effort to keep the flu from spreading, hundreds of birds in those countries have been destroyed. The WHO is estimating that it will take at least 2 years to contain this outbreak of the bird flu.

 

The strain of flu virus that has spread in Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe has not been found in birds - or humans - in the United States. There's a very low risk that people in the United States will get infected with the avian flu unless there's a global outbreak. But this strain of the virus has been around since 1997. And the longer it lingers, spreading among birds in Asia, the more opportunities there are for the virus to infect people. The more people that are infected with the virus, the more opportunities the virus will have to mutate into a form that could spread from person to person. That could lead to a pandemic.As a precaution, the United States is not importing any birds from countries that have reported outbreaks of the bird flu.

The symptoms of bird flu in people tend to be similar to the typical flu: fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches. But this flu also can lead to eye infections, pneumonia, and severe coughing and breathing problems.

If clusters of people start showing symptoms of the flu around the same time, in the same place, in a country where it's known that the virus is spreading, it would signal that the virus has mutated and is spreading from person to person. Doctors and public health officials would try to find out how the people got sick, and use that information to try to track and stop the disease from spreading.

No. There is no vaccine currently available for the avian flu, although there is one under development. However, experts stress that the strains of common flu virus that circle the globe each year are much more likely to pose a threat to human health during flu season. And in this case protection is available for that. So you may want to think about getting a flu shot for yourself and your family to help you stay well during the flu season, which runs from November to April, particularly if any of you are considered to be in a high-risk group. Pregnant women, babies from 6 to 23 months old, anyone who lives with or cares for infants under 6 months old, and people with certain chronic medical conditions are all considered high risk. To Learn More About Avian Flu and read the complete article go to American Academy of Family Physicians web site at AAFP.org and click on the Patients Tab/Parents +Kids).