Around The World With Avian Flu

Bird flu has claimed two more human lives in Indonesia. This was confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Both the patients who died were females. One was 16 years old and the other was 34 years old.

Bird flu was reported for the first time in Asia in 2003. Since then, it has spread to about 60 countries worldwide causing deaths of millions of poultry birds. It has also caused the deaths of 230 people, according to the WHO’s records.

Some of the nations which have reported human deaths due to bird flu include Cambodia, China, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Thailand, and Vietnam. Some other countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Djibouti have also reported cases of people infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Some fast facts about bird flu

• The most affected nations due to bird flu are Indonesia and Vietnam, as these nations have reported 162 combined human deaths
• Since its first outbreak in 2003, bird flu has infected 385 people worldwide, as per the WHO
• The H5N1 strain of the virus are mainly responsible for human infection
• H5N1 virus was reported for the first time in Hong Kong in 1998 that resulted in infection of 18 people out of which 6 died

The main symptoms of bird flu infection are a coughing, fever, aching muscles, sore throat, eye inflammation, pneumonia, viral pneumonia, and breathing problems.

The World Health Organisation has approved the use of Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug for the treatment of bird flu infection. However, it is a prescription medicine and should be taken only after consultation with a doctor.