• Bird flu appears to originate with chickens.chicken image by Pity from Fotolia.com
  
  The H5N1 avian influenza virus, more commonly known as bird flu, first surfaced in 1997 in Hong Kong, though some scientists believe that the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 may have been a version of bird flu. Tens of millions of birds have died from bird flu, and many humans have contracted it as well, with some fatalities.
  
  

Bird Flu Symptoms

• Bird flu symptoms are similar to the symptoms of the standard influenza virus. Symptoms include fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, a sore throat, and a cough that can be either dry or productive. Other symptoms are muscle aches, malaise, a runny nose and headache. Another common symptom is the appearance of an eye infection such as conjunctivitis. Sometimes conjunctivitis is the only obvious symptom of the bird flu. Doctors believe that the incubation period for avian flu to be between two and 10 days.
  
  

Complications of Bird Flu

• If bird flu is not successfully treated in time, more-serious symptoms can develop. Respiratory complications and symptoms include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress. These respiratory symptoms are sometimes, but not always, accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and neurologic changes.
  
  Inflammation of the brain and heart can also occur, as can organ failure and sepsis. Some of these complications are potentially fatal, and bird flu has a survival rate of only 50 percent, so if you have these symptoms and believe that you have been exposed to bird flu, you should go to a doctor immediately.
  
  

Avoiding the Bird Flu

• If you travel to an area where bird flu exists, take simple precautions to protect yourself. Avoid farms and marketplaces where wild or domesticated birds might be, and especially avoid ducks, chicken and geese. Wash eggs before you break them, and wash your hands after handling raw eggs. Avoid foods containing raw eggs. Wash your hands before and after handling raw poultry, and wash utensils and cutting boards that come into contact with poultry. Cook all poultry at high temperatures to kill the bird flu virus and avoid eating undercooked poultry.
  
  If you believe that you have been exposed to the avian flu, monitor yourself for possible symptoms for seven days. Visit your doctor if you show any symptoms, and make sure to let him know if you have visited any open-air markets or farms where there were birds, or if you have been in a part of the world where an outbreak of bird flu is currently occurring. Your doctor can administer a blood test that will give you preliminary results in about four hours.