H5N1

See: Pandemic, Goose Guangdong Virus, A/Fujian (H5N1), Influenza A Virus, Influenza, Enzootic, Panzootic, Chicken, Asymptomatic, Virulence, Host (Biology), Natural Reservoir.

References

(Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1 Retrieved:2024-5-12.
- Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A/H5N1) is a subtype of the influenza A virus, which causes influenza (flu), predominantly in birds. It is enzootic (maintained in the population) in many bird populations, and also panzootic (affecting animals of many species over a wide area). A/H5N1 virus can also infect mammals (including humans) which have been exposed to infected birds; in these cases symptoms are frequently severe or fatal.^[1] A/H5N1 virus is shed in the saliva, mucous, and feces of infected birds; other infected animals may shed bird flu viruses in respiratory secretions and other body fluids (e.g., cow milk).^[2] ^[3] and are able to spread rapidly through bird migration. Mammal species which have been recorded with H5N1 infection include cows, seals, goats, and skunks. Due to the high lethality and virulence of HPAI A(H5N1), its worldwide presence, its increasingly diverse host reservoir, and its significant ongoing mutations, the H5N1 virus is regarded to be the world's largest pandemic threat. Domestic poultry may potentially be protected from specific strains of the virus by vaccination. In the event of a serious outbreak of H5N1 flu among humans, health agencies have prepared "candidate" vaccines which may be used prevent infection and control the outbreak, however it could take several months to ramp up mass production.^[2]