It’s the season for sniffles and sore throats, which implies that scientists are monitoring the standard suspects like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. However they’re additionally watching one other virus this winter: H5N1 avian influenza, or fowl flu.
U.S. well being companies say that the virus at the moment poses a low threat to most of the people, although it’s spreading extensively amongst chickens, cows, and different animals. There have been 55 confirmed human circumstances within the U.S., in keeping with the newest statistics from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), and all however two of these folks had been uncovered to sick poultry or cattle. There’s at the moment no proof that the individuals who have gotten sick have contaminated different folks, in keeping with the CDC.
Nonetheless, researchers are monitoring the virus in case that state of affairs adjustments. Not too long ago, a young person in Canada was hospitalized after being contaminated with fowl flu—and when researchers analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus that sickened the teenager, they reportedly discovered that it had undergone mutations that would enable it to unfold extra simply amongst people. The person doesn’t appear to have contaminated anybody else, however the findings underscore the chance that fowl flu may someday turn out to be a much bigger threat to most of the people.
Proper now, consultants say there’s not a lot for the common particular person to fear about. (Simply don’t drink uncooked milk, which can harbor the virus, and don’t contact animals which can be useless or seem like sick.) If you happen to’re curious concerning the indicators and signs of fowl flu, although, right here’s what to know.
What are the signs of fowl flu?
Most of the folks within the U.S. who’ve caught fowl flu have reported conjunctivitis-like eye points, together with eye redness, discomfort, and discharge. That appears to be as a result of the virus can goal cells within the human eye. Farm staff who’ve been sickened on the job might have additionally been eye-level with contaminated animals.
Fowl flu may also trigger respiratory and traditional flu-like signs, together with cough, runny nostril, fever, sore throat, physique aches, complications, fatigue, shortness of breath, and pneumonia, the CDC says. Some folks within the U.S. who’ve caught fowl flu have skilled respiratory signs as nicely.
How will you inform the distinction between fowl flu and common flu?
Fowl flu and seasonal flu can look comparable—however when you develop flu-like signs, likelihood is superb that it’s simply the common flu or one other routine winter sickness. There isn’t a indication that fowl flu is spreading among the many common U.S. inhabitants, the CDC says.
Learn Extra: What to Do if You Have Sleep Apnea
Fowl flu may be identified by testing samples taken from a sick particular person’s nostril, throat, or eye, however testing is primarily beneficial for individuals who have signs and have been lately uncovered to animals that could be sick.
Is fowl flu severe?
The small variety of circumstances reported within the U.S. have thus far been gentle, with none requiring hospitalization. However fowl flu may be severe. The contaminated teenager in Canada, for instance, was hospitalized and in crucial situation.
Individuals have additionally died throughout earlier fowl flu outbreaks. From January 2003 to November 2024, greater than 900 human H5N1 circumstances have been recorded in 24 nations, and about half of them have been deadly, in keeping with World Well being Group statistics. However these figures possible miss folks with milder, doubtlessly undetected sicknesses. Additionally it is unclear how lethal the virus could be if it developed to unfold extensively from person-to-person, which by no means occurred in these previous outbreaks.
Are fowl flu vaccines out there?
Some firms make vaccines that can be utilized towards fowl flu, and the U.S. authorities lately distributed $72 million to make sure doses of those vaccines may be made out there shortly if mandatory.
However don’t anticipate finding fowl flu vaccines at your native pharmacy; they’re not out there to the general public proper now. As an alternative, concentrate on getting your common flu shot when you haven’t already. It received’t work towards fowl flu, however it may well assist defend you towards the virus you’re way more more likely to encounter this season.
