The highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus outbreak has been reported on a poultry research farm in Bihar. According to reports, the outbreak had started on January 18 and was reported on February 16.
The virus killed 787 out of 3,859 birds on the farm. All of the remaining birds were slaughtered as a measure to prevent the virus from spreading any further.
What is H5N1?
H5N1 virus or the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a highly contagious virus and is found mainly in birds. The virus affects both domestic and wild birds. Avian Influenza viruses have been found in mammalian species, including rats, mice, weasels, ferrets, pigs, cats, tigers, dogs and horses, as well as from humans, although very less frequently.
The HPAI Asian H5N1 strain has been found to be especially deadly for poultry birds. It was first detected in Geese in 1996, in China. The Avian Influenza virus outbreak is not a new phenomenon. Avian Influenza has been found worldwide and different strains are prevalent in different areas of the world.
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease that affects several species of food-producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet and wild birds. Occasionally mammals, including humans, may contract avian influenza. There are many AI virus strains, which are usually classified into two categories, low pathogenic (LPAI) strains, which typically cause few or no clinical signs in poultry and highly pathogenic (HPAI) strains, which can cause severe clinical signs and potentially high mortality rates among poultry.
