It’s the season for sniffles and sore throats, which signifies that scientists are monitoring the standard suspects like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. However they’re additionally watching one other virus this winter: H5N1 avian influenza, or chicken flu.
U.S. well being businesses say that the virus at the moment poses a low threat to most of the people, although it’s spreading broadly amongst chickens, cows, and different animals. There have been 55 confirmed human instances within the U.S., in accordance with the newest statistics from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), and all however two of these folks had been uncovered to sick poultry or cattle. There’s at the moment no proof that the individuals who have gotten sick have contaminated different folks, in accordance with the CDC.
Nonetheless, researchers are monitoring the virus in case that state of affairs adjustments. Lately, a young person in Canada was hospitalized after being contaminated with chicken flu—and when researchers analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus that sickened the teenager, they reportedly discovered that it had undergone mutations that might permit it to unfold extra simply amongst people. The person doesn’t appear to have contaminated anybody else, however the findings underscore the chance that chicken flu might at some point turn out to be an even bigger threat to most of the people.
Proper now, consultants say there’s not a lot for the typical particular person to fear about. (Simply don’t drink uncooked milk, which can harbor the virus, and don’t contact animals which might be lifeless or look like sick.) If you happen to’re curious concerning the indicators and signs of chicken flu, although, right here’s what to know.
What are the signs of chicken flu?
Lots of the folks within the U.S. who’ve caught chicken flu have reported conjunctivitis-like eye points, together with eye redness, discomfort, and discharge. That appears to be as a result of the virus can goal cells within the human eye. Farm employees who’ve been sickened on the job could have additionally been eye-level with contaminated animals.
Chicken flu can even trigger respiratory and basic flu-like signs, together with cough, runny nostril, fever, sore throat, physique aches, complications, fatigue, shortness of breath, and pneumonia, the CDC says. Some folks within the U.S. who’ve caught chicken flu have skilled respiratory signs as effectively.
How are you going to inform the distinction between chicken flu and common flu?
Chicken flu and seasonal flu can look related—however in the event you develop flu-like signs, likelihood is excellent that it’s simply the common flu or one other routine winter sickness. There is no such thing as a indication that chicken flu is spreading among the many normal U.S. inhabitants, the CDC says.
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Chicken flu might be recognized by testing samples taken from a sick particular person’s nostril, throat, or eye, however testing is primarily beneficial for individuals who have signs and have been just lately uncovered to animals which may be sick.
Is chicken flu critical?
The small variety of instances reported within the U.S. have up to now been delicate, with none requiring hospitalization. However chicken flu might be critical. The contaminated teenager in Canada, for instance, was hospitalized and in important situation.
Folks have additionally died throughout earlier chicken flu outbreaks. From January 2003 to November 2024, greater than 900 human H5N1 instances had been recorded in 24 international locations, and about half of them had been deadly, in accordance with World Well being Group statistics. However these figures probably miss folks with milder, probably undetected diseases. It is usually unclear how lethal the virus can be if it advanced to unfold broadly from person-to-person, which by no means occurred in these previous outbreaks.
Are chicken flu vaccines accessible?
Some corporations make vaccines that can be utilized towards chicken flu, and the U.S. authorities just lately distributed $72 million to make sure doses of those vaccines might be made accessible rapidly if vital.
However don’t anticipate finding chicken flu vaccines at your native pharmacy; they’re not accessible to the general public proper now. As a substitute, deal with getting your common flu shot in the event you haven’t already. It gained’t work towards chicken flu, however it will possibly assist shield you towards the virus you’re much more prone to encounter this season.
