Bird Flu Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Bird flu is an acute respiratory disease that attacks organs, especially the lungs. In general, bird flu infects pigs. This virus can spread quickly from one person to another around him.
Bird flu was once a pandemic in the world in 2009. However, in 2010 the World Health Organization (WHO) considered the bird flu virus to be a normal virus that can occur in humans.
If bird flu is not treated immediately, it is highly likely that the following diseases will arise:
- Sinus cavity infection
- Ear infection
- Lung infection
- Worsening of previous illnesses, such as asthma or heart disease
- Respiratory failure
Symptoms
Symptoms that appear when someone is infected with the bird flu virus are almost the same as those of influenza, such as:
Reason
Bird flu is caused by the influenza A virus subtype H1N1. This virus can be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs or the environment infected by this virus.
However, you won’t catch the virus just by eating pork. The risk factors for this infection are the same as for other influenza viruses, such as:
- Age over 65 years
- 5-year-old children
- Young adults under 19 years of age receiving long-term aspirin therapy
- People whose immune system is weak, for example in HIV-AIDS patients
- Pregnant women
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People with asthma, heart disease, and diabetes mellitus.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of bird flu is done by examining body fluids, such as mucus or saliva. The doctor will take a sample of nasal or throat mucus and identify the type of virus in the laboratory.
The diagnostic criteria for this flu are as follows:
- Have symptoms of acute respiratory infection within 7 days and have contact with a person diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.
- Presence of symptoms of acute respiratory infection within 7 days, with a history of traveling to areas that are heavily infected with the H1N1 virus.
- Acute respiratory infection that occurs in someone living in a community where there is at least one person with proven H1N1 virus.
Treatment
Bird flu can be treated by doing the following:
- Get enough rest, to increase endurance
- Drink plenty of water, to prevent dehydration
- Take cold medicine that can be purchased freely at the pharmacy
Handling H1N1 generally does not require special treatment, unless complications arise due to the flu. The two antiviral drugs recommended for treating this type of flu are oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). However, the risk of viral resistance to the drug is increasing, so it should only be given to people at high risk.
People who are young adults and have no abnormalities in their immune system do not need this drug, because the virus can heal on its own by the body’s immune system.
To reduce symptoms, you can also take fever-reducing drugs, cough / cold medicines, and painkillers.
Prevention
The main prevention of bird flu is by implementing the following:
- Get an influenza vaccination every year
- Wash hands regularly
- Do not touch your nose, mouth or eyes after touching objects that are thought to transmit the virus
- Avoid areas that are heavily infected with bird flu