Avian influenza: symptoms in humans. Treatment, prevention, first signs

Bird flu (H5N1) is called a kind of influenza virus that affects birds and can be transmitted from them to humans. Transmission of the disease occurs mainly fecal-oral route.

Historical reference

Avian influenza was first described in Italy in 1880. At the beginning of the 21st century, the disease spread through migratory birds from Southeast Asia to other countries, such as Austria, Germany, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Romania, Asia, South and North America , Africa. Avian influenza in Russia was discovered in 2005, it was recorded as wild migratory and waterfowl birds. Outbreaks of the disease did not bypass the Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Kurgan, Chelyabinsk regions and the Altai Territory. The following were affected by the Kalmykia virus, the Tula region, Turkey and Romania.

For the first time, the human avian influenza virus was detected in 1997 in Hong Kong.

What is the danger of the disease?

This kind of flu is extremely dangerous for humans, microorganisms are very contagious and provoke serious lung damage, the virus can affect the liver, kidneys, brain. In addition, he is insensitive to interferon preparations, "Remantadine" and has a tendency to mutations, which makes it even more dangerous. Mortality from the disease is quite high and is 50-80%.

What is the difference between an ordinary bird flu virus?

Symptoms in people at first resemble manifestations of ordinary flu. There is a runny nose, cough, body temperature is increased, a person becomes weak and sluggish. But the consequences of the disease are very severe, most of the cases result in a fatal outcome.

Therefore, if at least one bird gets sick in the holding, they destroy all the livestock in order to avoid serious consequences.

Transmission paths

The source of infection is wild waterfowl. They themselves are not sick. Being in ponds with standing water, birds with feces leave there a virus through which aquatic poultry gets infected through water, and then the rest that are on the farm.

Human virus is transmitted by airborne droplets. When coughing, poultry mucus or saliva is released in the poultry. Breathing them, a person is infected. It is possible to transmit the virus by contact, by touching the objects on which the discharge of the diseased bird has remained.

The virus is able to survive for many years at a temperature below minus 70 ° C, which means it can be stored in frozen meat. The meat that has undergone heat processing is safe, the virus dies at + 70 ° C, in addition, it can not withstand multiple repeated frosts (more than 5 times).

A high risk of catching a virus in people working on poultry farms, in rural residents, breeding poultry. Also in the risk zone are children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Main features

In birds, the disease can occur in two different forms. The first option has no serious consequences. The bird, which is sick, stops rushing, it has a cough, feathers become disheveled. The second option, which involves the defeat of the respiratory system, digestion, is fatal.

How does the bird flu show up in humans? Symptoms in people at the initial stage are similar to those of a common cold or flu, but very quickly become pneumonia. Often the disease ends in a fatal outcome.

The incubation period is from one to seven days. The disease has an acute onset - with a high fever, pain in the muscles and joints. The temperature (about 38 ° C) lasts 10-12 days, in severe cases it persists to a lethal outcome.
Laryngitis, rhinitis, bronchitis appear on day 2-3, there is a severe pain in the throat. Along with such symptoms, the development of viral pneumonia occurs in a disease such as avian influenza.

Symptoms in people can be not only intoxication and catarrhal. Very often the gastrointestinal tract is affected, which is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. There may be bleeding from the nose or gums. A person who has fallen ill with avian influenza, very quickly deteriorates.

Diagnostics

The professional help of doctors is necessary at the slightest suspicion of avian flu. Symptoms in humans that occur after contact with a diseased bird or person are an immediate reason for contacting a doctor. The doctor-therapist will conduct an examination and questioning the patient, and also will appoint additional studies. When listening to the lungs, if pneumonia begins to develop, hard breathing is determined , there are wet rales. During the X-ray study, rapidly spreading infiltration is detected.

In the general analysis of blood with such a disease, there is a decrease in the number of leukocytes, lymphocytes and platelets. For the statement of the exact diagnosis, in addition to the blood test, it is necessary to give a smear from the nose.

A sick person can be enlarged liver, possibly developing kidney failure.

How to treat?

Treatment of avian influenza occurs in the infectious disease department of the hospital where antiviral drugs are prescribed for a person , then symptomatic therapy is performed. The most commonly used antiviral drug is Tamiflu, which was effectively used during the epidemics of 2008 and 2009.

Less weak, but effective drug for treating avian flu is "Arbidol", which is prescribed in a higher dosage, which provides the maximum antiviral effect. With fever and fever, drugs containing paracetamol ("Ibuprofen", "Naiz", "Efferalgan") help to cope. Preparations that contain interferon, necessary to improve the immunity of the patient.

Equally important is the complete isolation of the patient, which prevents the infection of surrounding people. The ill person should have personal personal hygiene products, bed linen, clothes, utensils, etc. In the acute period of the disease, it is often necessary to rinse the upper respiratory tract to get rid of accumulated mucus. In addition, the patient must adhere to a strict diet, eliminating or limiting fried, sharp and acidic foods.

Prevention

In order to avoid infection, you must:

• Avoid contacts with wild birds.
• Children should be prohibited from feeding them.
• At the slightest signs of illness in poultry, they must be destroyed, informing about what happened in the veterinary clinic.
• Having found dead poultry, it is necessary to bury it immediately, putting on a dense mask, protective clothing and gloves.
• If you have poultry, do not forget to wash your hands regularly.
• It is necessary to take a course of preventive procedures in a medical institution, going to the territory where the bird flu was discovered. Prevention includes vaccinations and antiviral drugs.
• Although the cases of infection after eating chicken meat have not been officially registered, it is necessary to remember the precautions when preparing dishes from poultry meat and eggs. Careful heat treatment helps to destroy the virus.

If you find yourself at least the slightest signs of avian flu, contact the medical institution as soon as possible . Timely and qualified medical care will preserve health, and in severe cases - even life.