News: Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in Hokkaido.
About Avian Influenza A (H5N1)
- Avian influenza is a type A influenza virus of the genus Alphainfluenzavirus of the family Orthomyxoviridae.
- It is a single-stranded RNA virus with a genome consisting of eight negative-sense RNA segments.
- It is a highly infectious influenza virus that primarily infects birds but can also affect mammals, including humans in rare cases.
- Origin: It first emerged in 1996 in China and since 2020, it has been reported across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and mainland Antarctica.
- Transmission: Humans are infected by close contact with infected birds and other animals and contaminated environments.
- The virus does not transmit easily from person to person.
- Symptoms: It infects upper respiratory tract and lungs and sometimes spreads to other parts of body.
- Symptoms may include eye redness (conjunctivitis), mild fever, cough, sore throat, runny or blocked nose, muscle aches, headache, and fatigue.
- Prevention: Infection can be prevented by avoiding direct contact with wild birds, poultry, or livestock that appear sick or dead.
