Discription: The corona virus epidemic had been battling for the last one year that once again the bird flu has knocked in India. There have been cases of bird flu from some districts in Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal. The mysterious deaths of wild geese in Himachal, crows in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, ducks in Kerala, and poultry birds in Haryana have been reported. Since then, bird flu alert has been issued in these states.
How does bird flu spread?
Wild-water birds such as ducks and geese carry the influenza-A virus naturally. Many birds have this flu in their body but they do not get sick from it and through feces remove the virus from the body. Because birds also defecate while flying, the influenza virus spreads easily around the world. Especially long-distance migratory birds carry the flu with them, which causes it to spread to poultry and local birds. Sometimes this virus is also spread to pigs, horses, cats and dogs.
Bird flu in India
India has not had a single case of bird flu in humans so far. According to an animal department report, from 2006 to 2015, 25 cases of H5N1 bird flu were detected in poultry in 15 states. Let us tell you that in 2006, for the first time in the country, Maharashtra and Gujarat saw cases of bird flu. It has also been seen in crows. Bird flu also comes to India through migratory birds.
Since when did humans become infected with bird flu?
Bird flu has not happened in the country for the first time, rather it has been affecting poultry across the world for centuries. To prevent this infection, birds infected with the flu are killed, which is the only way to prevent this infection. But for the first time in 1997, bird flu was seen in humans. The flu began to spread from a live bird market in Hong Kong. 18 people were affected by the flu, out of which 6 died.
Does bird flu spread easily to humans?
No, it does not spread easily among humans. Generally, if humans come in contact with a bird that is infected (alive or dead) with H5N1, they may also get bird flu. According to the WHO, bird flu usually does not spread from one person to another. There have also been no cases where people have had bird flu by eating well-cooked chicken or its eggs. These viruses cannot tolerate hot temperatures, so they die when cooked.
Then why are people afraid of bird flu?
H5N1 is a serious and deadly virus, due to which 6 out of 10 humans have died so far. If the virus mutates and changes its size and captures a human cell and spreads easily from person to person, it can also take the form of an epidemic. Flu viruses are easily mutated, as they contain a fragmented genome. All the flu we know so far, such as seasonal flu and corona virus, started mutating from birds to humans.