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What are the Symptoms and Causes of Bird Flu?

Home » Diseases » Bird Flu » What are the Symptoms and Causes of Bird Flu?

In order to know if you have the bird flu virus, you would need to know if you have the symptoms of it. There are signs, causes, and risk factors involved with getting the bird flu. In order to fight against this virus, it would be good to know more about it including what happens when you get it. Here's some info to consider:

• Signs: Because there are so many strains of the bird flu virus, it is difficult to pin down the exact cause or sign for it. As a matter of fact, scientists don't rightly know how the bird flu will affect humans, since up to know not too many humans have been infected. But the ones that were infected, a common ground was reached as to what symptoms are possible. These include a cough, fever, sore throat, and muscle aches. Doctors warn that if people get the (A) H5N1 virus strain, the person can die.
• Causes: The only real cause for the bird flu virus is the fact the body's defenses can't stop the virus from attacking the cells in the body. All the vaccines that are provided don't work because the virus mutates and becomes immune to it quickly. If there are humans who are exposed to chickens or turkeys that are infected, the humans will also become infected. Basically, if humans come in contact with the infected bird's saliva, nasal discharges, or droppings, the human can get the virus.
• Risks factors: The major risk factor is by touching sick or infected birds, or touching the surface of where these birds touched. The only people who are susceptible to this flu virus are those who have direct contact with infected birds. These could be children, since they do play outside a lot, and those who have farms where they grow chickens and turkeys.

Next Page: What are the Complications and Treatments for the Bird Flu?

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