This article is filed under: avian flu, bird flu, bird flu causes, bird flu signs, chicken, consumer safety, food check, H5N1, health, medical emergency, Outbreak, PAMPANGA, poultry, symptoms, virus alert, Health Current Events, Health, Article About Health, Health Issues, Health Problems
Last Friday, the Department of Agriculture confirmed the outbreak of avian influenza virus (bird flu), the first case for the country, in San Luis, Pampanga which killed close to 40,000 poultry heads and placed the province in a state of calamity.
Test specimens confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5 has affected San Agustin in San Luis, Pampanga,with 37,000 birds infected and killed covering six farms of poultry, quail and ducks.The outbreak prompted the poultry consumers from eating chicken especially if it came from unknown sources.
To control the spread of the disease, DA banned shipments of fowls from Luzon to any part of the country.
Although DOH said that there are no reports of human being infected by the disease and there are low chances of animal to human transmission of the disease, the Department of Environment and natural resources has issued a warning to refrain from approaching any migratory birds in the light of fears that the virus came from birds.
"We discourage the killing or poaching of the birds because this could just worsen the situation. Close contact with the birds will risk transmission," DENR-BMB Director Mundita Lim said.
This article is filed under: avian flu, bird flu, bird flu causes, bird flu signs, chicken, consumer safety, food check, H5N1, health, medical emergency, Outbreak, PAMPANGA, poultry, symptoms, virus alert, Health Current Events, Health, Article About Health, Health Issues, Health Problems
Test specimens confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5 has affected San Agustin in San Luis, Pampanga,with 37,000 birds infected and killed covering six farms of poultry, quail and ducks.The outbreak prompted the poultry consumers from eating chicken especially if it came from unknown sources.
To control the spread of the disease, DA banned shipments of fowls from Luzon to any part of the country.
Although DOH said that there are no reports of human being infected by the disease and there are low chances of animal to human transmission of the disease, the Department of Environment and natural resources has issued a warning to refrain from approaching any migratory birds in the light of fears that the virus came from birds.
"We discourage the killing or poaching of the birds because this could just worsen the situation. Close contact with the birds will risk transmission," DENR-BMB Director Mundita Lim said.
She also said that the actual strain of the disease has to be identified for proper disease management recommendations. some epidemiological assessment has to be made as well as creating an inter-agency committee on zoonosis together with DA and DOH.
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) is in the process of sending the samples to the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Reference Laboratory for avian influenza for further testing.
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What is Influenza A virus subtype H5N1?
Also known as A(H5N1) or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal speciesA bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A(H5N1) for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1, is the highlycausative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as avian influenza ("bird flu"). It is (maintained in the population) in many bird populations, especially in Southeast Asia. One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) is spreading globally after first appearing in Asia. It is epizootic (an epidemic in nonhumans) and panzootic (affecting animals of many species, especially over a wide area), killing tens of millions of birds and spurring the culling of hundreds of millions of others to stem its spread.
Compared to AH1N1, the H5 strain is more fatal if contracted by humans.
If any human is infected, the usual signs according to World Health Association are fatigue, fever, conjunctivitis, sore throat, cough, and muscle aches. If the disease is remained untreated, the victim could experience rapid deterioration, viral pneumonia leading to respiratory distress, kidney failure, multi-organ failure or worst, death.
Several H5N1 vaccines have been developed and approved, and stockpiled by a number of countries, including the United States Britain, France, Canada, and Australia, for use in an emergency.
How do you spot a chicken that is infected by bird flu virus?
Note these signs that a chicken is infected by the avian flu virus:
•Ruffled feathers
•Lethargy
•Respiratory distress
•Facial swelling
•Decreased egg production
•Sudden death with no warning signs
Now, how do you make sure that the chicken meat you bought from a local market is not infected with the virus?
Bounty Agro Ventures President Ronald Mascariñas shared some tips on how to spot a bird flu infected chicken if you are buying from a local market. According to Mascariñas, the meat of a healthy, non-infected chicken is really white.The meat of a potentially virus infected chicken has a lot of black marks or spots so you need to avoid chicken meat with these kind of pigmentation or discoloration.
To prevent yourself and your loved ones, though the spread of the disease in humans are rare but possible, you should be aware on how the disease could spread.
The DOH and the Department of Agriculture assured the public that they are doing all possible measures to contain the outbreak. The DENR will also issue a memorandum to all its regional directors to intensify surveillance at airports and seaports pertaining to the smuggling of wild birds.
*Update: Department of Agriculture confirmed the strain of the bird flu virus as H5N6 which is highly transmissible to humans.
*Update: Department of Agriculture confirmed the strain of the bird flu virus as H5N6 which is highly transmissible to humans.
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This article is filed under: avian flu, bird flu, bird flu causes, bird flu signs, chicken, consumer safety, food check, H5N1, health, medical emergency, Outbreak, PAMPANGA, poultry, symptoms, virus alert, Health Current Events, Health, Article About Health, Health Issues, Health Problems
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