In an effort to prevent H5N1 bird flu from spreading, Myanmar has turned to culling more than a thousand chickens in Monywa.
The country's first bird flu outbreak in 2006 also happened in the same region, around 525 miles northwest of Yangon. The last outbreak in Myanmar was in 2011 in the western Rakhine State. Over 1,400 chickens as well as 10,000 quails have died since the outbreak started in Monywa earlier in the month but it has been brought under control. No infections in people have been reported but 1,500 chickens and over 20,000 quails have been culled since then.
H5N1 is a highly pathogenic bird flu virus that has led to dramatic outbreaks in the domestic poultry industries in the Middle East and some parts of Asia. The first human infection was recorded in Hong Kong in 1997, with almost 650 cases reported since 2003 across 15 countries.
Highly pathogenic means a virus has great ability to cause disease but while H5N1 is one, the virus is mostly easily caught by poultry. People may get infected from coming into contact with sick or dead poultry that have been infected with the virus but once infected people can't pass it to each other. Around 60 percent of cases in humans result into death.
In the United States, no cases of H5N1 have been reported in birds or people. In 2011 though, 62 human cases of infection were recorded, with 34 dying in Indonesia, Egypt, China, Cambodia and Bangladesh. Common symptoms of an infection in people include fever and cough, which may rapidly progress to severe viral pneumonia with hypoxia, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
The best way to prevent infection in people is to avoid any form of contact with infected poultry, sick or dead. This means avoiding live poultry markets while traveling as these areas may harbor the virus. At the same time, it is essential to practice good hygiene and proper food handling when preparing raw eggs or poultry. Make sure to wash hands with warm water and soap for minimum of 20 seconds and ensure all cutting boards and utensils are also properly washed. This will prevent raw poultry from contaminating other food items being prepared. Avoid eating raw eggs and make sure poultry is being cooked at an ideal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
A bird flu vaccine is currently underway in Thailand. A nasal spray, the medication has started phase 1 clinical trials.
