Bird flu cases in India: A 4-year-old child in India has been confirmed to have bird flu. This virus occurs in birds, but after infection in humans, the concern of health experts has increased. The way bird flu cases are continuously increasing across the world, the possibility of a new epidemic is increasing.
Bird flu: A few months ago, the bird flu i.e. H5N1 virus started spreading among animals in America. This virus was confirmed in thousands of cows. After this, this virus was also found in animals in Denmark and Canada. It was confirmed in about 26 species. This was a matter of concern because bird flu infection was usually seen in birds only. But during that time, this virus was also found in millions of animals and this trend is still continuing. But now bird flu seems to be becoming a big threat. There are two reasons for this.
Firstly, a few days ago a person died of this virus in Mexico. This was the first case of human death due to bird flu. After this death, the World Health Organization issued an alert about bird flu worldwide. Only a few days have passed and now this virus has been confirmed in a child in India too. H5N1 virus has been found in a 4-year-old child in West Bengal. Human infection of bird flu in such a densely populated country is a matter of concern.
This is because this virus does not spread easily in humans. There are only a few cases of this virus infecting humans worldwide. Only two such cases have been reported in India. One case was reported in 2019 and one has come now. The way bird flu cases are increasing in animals worldwide and now humans are also getting infected, there is a threat of a new pandemic.
Where did the bird flu come from?
The first case of bird flu was found in 1996 in chickens present in a poultry center in Guangdong, China. In 1997, a human died due to this virus. In the year 2020, many mutations of this virus were seen and by the year 2022 it was seen in wild birds. During this time, cases of this virus were also increasing in America. But in the last one year, lakhs of cases of H5N1 virus are being reported. A large number of birds and animals are getting infected by it. But infection in humans has increased the concern a lot. Experts have alerted about this.
How does bird flu spread to humans?
Dr NR Rawat of Rajasthan Veterinary and Animal Science University says that people working in poultry farms have the highest risk of getting infected with this virus. The virus can spread to humans by coming in contact with the feces or urine of a bird infected with the virus. Although transmission of this virus from one person to another is difficult, there is a need to be alert about the number of cases that have come up. This is because the mortality rate in bird flu is higher than any other virus. The death rate in this is higher than that of Covid. There is no prescribed treatment to protect humans from this virus. In such a situation, it becomes very dangerous.
Will this become a new pandemic?
Dr Rawat says that it is difficult to predict whether bird flu will become a new epidemic or not. But this virus is spreading rapidly and can remain among people for a long time. Now it is spreading rapidly among animals as well. In such a situation, the risk of infection in humans can increase. There is a need to be prepared for this. Especially those who do poultry farming will have to take special precautions.
Can bird flu be prevented?
Epidemiologist Dr Jugal Kishore says that it is not easy to prevent bird flu infection in birds and animals, but its infection in humans can be controlled. For this, it is important that poultry farmers keep a distance from infected birds. If any bird or animal is infected, then inform the authorities. If you are experiencing symptoms of fever, difficulty in breathing and headache, then consult a doctor.
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