New H7N9 Bird Flu
A new H7N9 bird flu has killed 2 people in China and scientists are unsure how they became infected with this new strain of the avian flu. There was no evidence of human to human transmission of this new strain that infected these 2 people. One person was age 87 and the other just 27 years old.
A third person, age 35, was also infected and remains in critical condition. Others close to these 3 people infected were also tested and not found to be carrying the strain of the new H7N9 bird flu in them.
This strain is different than the H5N1 bird flu that was found last year in many birds. It is also different from the Sars virus that was shown to spread from person to person.
There are no known vaccines against this newest strain of the bird flu and little is known about this new virus. The 2 people who died from it are the first humans ever known to contract this H7N9 strain of the bird flu.
Bird flu can be spread from wild birds to farm raised birds and infect thousands of them quickly. Bird droppings and salvia can spread the virus easily. It can infect farm equipment, cars, etc. What is different about bird flu from the regular flu is that we do not have immunities build up in us to protect us from it. That is what causes people to get very sick from bird flu vs. for example, a regular flu in a healthy person.
H7N9 Bird Flu Symptoms Include:
- Fever.
- Coughing.
- Severe Pneumonia.
- Difficulty Breathing.
The World Health Organization believes the risk to public health remains low as there is no evidence of human to human transmission of this new flu virus. Officials in China are boosting up their monitoring efforts at local hospitals.
Do you think this new strain of the bird flu may have mutated from other forms of the bird flu?
Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
