What is Avian Influenza (AI)?

From the Guidelines

Avian influenza (AI) is a viral infection that primarily affects birds but can occasionally spread to humans through direct contact with infected birds or their environments, with the most concerning strain being H5N1, which has a high mortality rate in humans. The infection can spread through the virus in infected birds' saliva, mucous, or feces entering human eyes, nose, or mouth 1. Symptoms of avian influenza in humans include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and in severe cases, respiratory distress and pneumonia, appearing 3-7 days after exposure 1.

Key Characteristics of Avian Influenza

• The virus primarily affects birds but can occasionally spread to humans.
• The most concerning strain is H5N1, which has a high mortality rate in humans.
• Human-to-human transmission is rare, but the virus has the potential to mutate.
• Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and in severe cases, respiratory distress and pneumonia.

Prevention and Treatment

• Prevention is crucial and involves avoiding contact with sick or dead birds, thoroughly cooking poultry products to at least 165°F (74°C), practicing good hand hygiene, and staying informed about outbreaks in the area 1.
• Treatment typically involves antiviral medications, with zanamivir being considered for patients with confirmed or strongly suspected infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, although the quality of evidence is very low 1.
• Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) may also be used, but its effectiveness against avian influenza is not well established 1.

Public Health Concerns

• Avian influenza has the potential to mutate and spread efficiently among humans, leading to a pandemic 1.
• Public health authorities closely monitor outbreaks to prevent and control the spread of the virus.
• Reducing seasonal influenza risk through influenza vaccination of persons who might be exposed to nonhuman influenza viruses might reduce the theoretical risk for recombination of influenza A viruses of animal origin and human influenza A viruses 1.

From the Research

Definition and Overview of Avian Influenza

• Avian influenza is a serious infection caused by the influenza virus that is native to birds 2.
• It remains a global challenge due to high transmission and mortality rates, with the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 resulting in significant outbreaks and deaths globally since the late 1800s 2.
• The virus can cause symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to mild flu-like illness to severe illness that requires hospitalization 2.

Transmission and Public Health Risks

• Recent outbreaks in wild birds, domestic birds, and cows with some genetic variations and mutations among H5N1 strains have raised major concerns about potential transmission and public health risks 2.
• The virus can be transmitted to humans, and there are multiple vaccines in development to protect against avian influenza, specifically the H5N1 virus 2.

Treatment and Prevention Strategies

• Neuraminidase inhibitors, such as oseltamivir, peramivir, and zanamivir, are the mainstay of avian influenza treatment 2, 3.
• Baloxavir marboxil, a cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor, has also shown efficacy against avian influenza virus 4, 5.
• Chemoprophylaxis against avian influenza following a suspected exposure should be started as soon as possible or no later than 48 hours, and continued for 7 days 2.