Avian flu is on the rise in Scotland after health officials confirmed that chickens at a Fife Farm in Dunfermline have been infected. Nearly 40,000 birds are set to be culled at Craigies Poultry Farm to prevent the spread of the virus. The big question is can humans get bird flu from chickens?
Avian flu or popularly known as "bird flu" refers to the infection of birds by avian influenza Type A viruses. Wild aquatic birds may carry these viruses naturally and spread to domesticated animals such as poultry chickens and other species.
Avian influenza A viruses may infect the intestines and respiratory tract of wild birds and cause no illnesses at all. However, the virus may be very communicable among bird species and cause sickness and death to domesticated species such as chickens, turkeys and ducks.
Humans may get avian influenza A viruses from animals. There are two possible ways animal -to-person transmission may take place.
The first mode of transmission is via direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environment. In China, people were said to have been contaminated after inhaling aerosolized material in live bird markets. Some reports also said that people got infected from plucking or cleaning infected birds.
The second possibility of animal to human transmission is via an intermediate host such as a pig.
"People don't catch the virus from eating fully cooked chicken or eggs," a report says.
For the head veterinarian of Food Standard Scotland Rita Botto, bird flu does not affect food safety.
"On the basis of current scientific evidence, Food Standards Scotland's advice is that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers," she says.
An official statement released by the Scottish government confirms the presence of the disease strain that has killed millions in Africa and Asia. The experts, however, said that the strain is very mild and that it poses minimal risk to public health.
Poultry owners and keepers are advised to keep a keen eye on their farms and to report any unusual signs and symptoms that their chickens may develop.
Prompt reporting and intervention may help curb the spread of the disease. For this, Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead raises his hat on the farm manager of Craigies poultry farm.
"That is the responsible action that we would expect poultry keepers and their vets to take and I thank them for that," he says.
Photo: Charles Hutchins | Flickr
