Since you asked

Can I Catch the Flu From a Bird?

Experts answer your questions about avian influenza.

Story by Dennis Hryciuk

As avian influenza continues to spread across Asia and Europe and now into Africa, it raises serious questions about the implications the disease could have on human health. The main concern is that this virus - which mainly affects birds - could jump the species barrier and mutate into a deadly form that spreads from person to person and becomes a worldwide pandemic. Nobody knows for sure if this will happen but the threat is real. We know you have questions about bird flu, so we asked public health officials, a veterinary expert and chicken producers for the answers.

Q: What is avian influenza?

A: Avian influenza - also known as bird flu - is a contagious viral disease that occurs naturally in wild and domestic birds. There are many different forms of the disease and some are more threatening than others. Some cause mild or no symptoms in birds and others are deadly. The current H5N1 virus that originated in Asia is considered a "high pathogenic" form because it spreads rapidly through poultry flocks and causes high mortality rates in a short time frame.

Q: What are the threats to human health?

A: There are two potential threats. The first is the risk of the virus passing from poultry to humans. So far, the number of human infections has remained small. More than 150 people have contracted the disease, and just over half of the cases have been fatal. These have only occurred in areas affected by the H5N1 virus. The second and more serious threat is that the virus will gradually mutate into a form that passes easily between humans, sparking a global pandemic.

Q: What is special about the current outbreak in poultry?

A: The current outbreak is the largest and most severe on record, resulting in the death or destruction of more birds in more areas of the world than ever before. The virus's ability to cause illness and death in humans is also quite worrying. "It's different because it's able to kill people," says Dr. Colleen Annett, veterinary pathologist with Alberta Agriculture.

Q: How is avian flu transmitted to humans?

A: Those who have become infected with avian influenza have had close contact with sick, dying or dead birds. The disease is spread from contact with a bird's saliva, blood or feces. Humans who are exposed to these substances are at risk of contracting the disease - a higher likelihood in regions such as Southeast Asia where people often live with freely roaming birds. However, most people there have not become infected.

Q: What is the difference between pandemic flu and seasonal flu?

A: A pandemic flu is a global outbreak of serious illness that spreads easily from person to person and is often fatal. It occurs when a new subtype of influenza virus appears and people have little or no immunity to fight it. The Spanish flu of 1918 was one of the most deadly in human history and killed more than 20 million people worldwide.A seasonal flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus that is not life threatening for most people, although it can cause deaths in elderly victims or those with weakened immune systems. Outbreaks usually follow predictable seasonal patterns and people often have some immunity built up from previous exposure.

Q: What is the likelihood of avian flu evolving into a strain that causes a worldwide pandemic?

A: "All the characteristics for this to become a pandemic virus are there," says Dr. Karen Grimsrud, deputy provincial health officer at Alberta Health and Wellness. Although the threat is real that it could mutate into a deadly form that spreads easily from human to human, it's also possible that just the opposite could happen - that H5N1 mutates into a weaker virus over time.

Q: Currently, how serious is the risk of a pandemic developing?

A: The risk is serious, according to the World Health Organization. That's because the H5N1 virus is now firmly established in large areas of Asia, increasing chances that more human cases will develop. Each additional human case gives the virus an opportunity to mutate into a form that spreads from person to person and therefore develop into a pandemic strain.

Q: What about the cases of avian flu that have been found in Canada? Are they similar to the cases found in Southeast Asia?

A: The cases found in Canada were caused by a different strain of avian flu. This particular form of the virus is not known to cause serious illness in humans, as it has in Asia. The most recent outbreak in 2004 in British Columbia was considered "high path" - in other words, it spread fast and killed many birds. A total of 19 million birds had to be destroyed at farms in the Fraser Valley. Although many were most likely not infected, these measures were considered necessary to control the spread of the disease. It is important to note that the virus identified in B.C. did not transfer to humans.

Q: Is it safe to eat poultry and poultry products?

A: Yes, it's safe to eat poultry and poultry products. There is no evidence that avian influenza can be transmitted through contaminated food. Of course proper cooking and hygiene measures should always be practiced. But those measures are necessary to protect against infections such as salmonella poisoning, not avian flu, Grimsrud says. That means washing your hands before and after handling food, washing cooking surfaces and cutting boards, and cooking poultry to its proper temperature. Your meat thermometer should read 170ºF (77ºC). It's also unlikely any bird with avian flu would ever get to market, says Annett. That's because inspectors check all poultry sent to processing plants and re-move birds that show any signs of illness. "I have a lot of confidence in our inspection system," Annett says.

Q: What can I do to help prevent and protect against avian flu?

A: While we presently do not have the current, much publicized strain of avian flu in Canada, there are some things you can do to help prevent it from spreading to this country. When travelling internationally, avoid contact with live poultry and do not visit farms or markets where poultry is raised or sold. Also, do not bring meat or meat products into Canada from other countries. The on-farm and food safety standards we adhere to in Canada are often not the same in other countries.

Q: What is the poultry industry doing to protect itself or prepare for avian flu?

A: Most producers have adopted measures collectively known as biosecurity, says Lisa Bishop-Spencer, manager of communications for the Chicken Farmers of Canada. The 2,800-member group encourages practices such as raising chickens in enclosed spaces to limit exposure to outside risk sources such as wild birds. For poultry raised outside, fencing and overhead mesh are encouraged. However most chickens in Canada are raised in barns.

Those who enter the barns must change into a different set of clothes and boots. "It's a program that farmers use to limit the opportunity for anything or anybody to get into or out of their barns," Bishop-Spencer says. "We have put into place a number of measures to make sure the risks of diseases being introduced are reduced as much as possible," says Sylvia Donkersgoed, a chicken farmer and chair of Alberta Chicken Producers.