Bird
Flu risks
There are two circumstances in which an avian
flu virus could merge with a human flu virus:
In humans -
if a person who already has flu is comes into close contact
with birds who have highly pathogenic avian flu, there
is a tiny chance that the person could become infected with
the avian flu virus. If this happens, the person would now
be carrying both the human flu virus and the avian flu virus.
The two viruses could meet in the person's body and swap
genes with each other. If the new virus had the avian flu's
genes
that made it rapidly fatal and the human flu's genes to allow
it to be passed from person to person, a flu pandemic could
result.
In pigs - pigs are susceptible to both human
and bird flu viruses. If a pig became infected with both
viruses at
the
same time,
it could act as a "mixing vessel", allowing the
two viruses to swap genes and produce a new virus.
When
a bird is infected with avian flu, it sheds the flu virus
in its faeces, saliva and mucus. Other birds become
infected
by eating or inhaling the virus. Very rarely, the virus
can infect people who are in close contact with infected
birds
- for example by people inhaling dried faeces that have
become trampled into dust.
People cannot catch avian flu from
eating cooked chickens. |
