Some of us like to keep wild birds or domesticated birds as pets. So we need to be cautious in handling our pets and poultry.

What is bird flu or avian flu?
Bird flu is an infection caused by avian influenza viruses (AIV). These AIV occur naturally among birds. Many wild birds at home and abroad carry the AIV in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them.

There are different subtypes of AIV that differ from each other based on proteins on the surface of the AIV.

When we talk about "human flu viruses" we are referring to those subtypes of the AIV that occur widely in humans. Till date there are only three known AIV subtypes of human flu viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2).

Like all bird flu viruses, H5N1 virus circulates among birds worldwide. It is very contagious among birds, and can be deadly sometimes.

Transmission, symptoms and treatments
The birds infected by the AIV shed the virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and faces. Susceptible birds become infected when they come in contact with these contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of Avian flu infection (H5N1) in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces.

Symptoms of Bird flu in humans have ranged from typical flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases and other severe and life-threatening complications.

Severely infected birds with AIV will take less food and water, become emaciated, reddish comb may turn yellowish, unable to move, show signs of paralysis of parts of body such as wings and legs, and shivering of body, in addition to other flu-like symptoms ultimately dying in a few days.

The H5N1 virus does not usually infect humans. However, the H5N1 virus currently infecting birds and human is resistant to antiviral medications.

Currently the Tamiflu antiviral drug is being regularly used against H5N1 viruses in humans considering that this is having some effect against this particular virus although it has been developed to treat human influenza, unrelated to the H5N1. Experts are of the opinion that Tamiflue is not the answer for H5N1 viral infection.

Our migratory birds and the avian flu
All over the whole world, there are millions of migratory birds. We have nearly 700 species of birds of which at least 300 are migratory.

In the wetland areas especially near a haor, beel and baor there are duckeries. So, if the migratory birds carry this disease it can be easily transmitted to the domestic ducks, geese or chicken that might come across these migratory birds. People working with these domestic birds can be infected with H5N1 virus.

What should we do for avoiding the disease?

• Avoid getting any new pet in your house or buy poultry from a country where there is an outbreak of bird flu.
• Do not visit pet shops or animal markets selling birds.
• Avoid direct contact with your bird pets and the poultry.
• If you are bound to clean your pet cages, poultry sheds always use medical facemask, rubber hand gloves and rubber gumboot and wash your hands with powerful disinfectant available in the local pharmacy.
• If you think that your pet is not ok, contact your Vet and if you are not feeling well contact a physician immediately.
• Protect your pet birds/poultry from outside birds such as pigeons, crows, mynas and sparrows.
• Regularly wash feeding trays, water pots and other utensils used in a cage/aviary with disinfectant.
• In case of poultry farms all the above precautions are applicable and workers there must not touch the birds, their eggs or chicks with bare hands and without protective gear.
• In every gate of a farm there must be a 3 to 5 square metres of carpets or mats regularly wetted with liquid disinfectants or there could a 30 to 40 cm deep trench having equal width and length of 3 metres filled with disinfectants so that all persons and vehicles entering into or getting out of the farms get disinfected.

What the government should do now?
Any sick or dead bird seen in the field could be reported to the newly formed task force office through a toll-free telephone number.

Government now must form/designate small committees in Thana level asking them to be in touch with each UP chairman within their jurisdiction. The Committees should be formed in areas having beels, baors and haors and long cost line where most migratory waterfowls pass through. Each committee should include at least the local veterinarian, a zoology teacher, amateur birdwatcher or hunter and representatives from the fisher folks, Forest Department, Coast Guard and BDR personnel, if available.

Each Thana level committee should be provided with sets of polythene/plastic shoe cover up to knee, face-masks, long-sleeve gloves, plastic overall with headgear and disinfectants so that when there is a report of a sick bird, it can dispatch to a trained person to fetch it for scientific investigation.

Government should make an arrange laboratory kits in the central veterinary lab for testing most prevalent AIVs and similarly it must also have test-kit for humans in government hospitals or in the CMH.

The writer is the Head of Dubai Zoo and Member, WCPA (World Commission on Parks and Protected Areas). [drrezakhan@yahoo.com; mark1147@emirates.net.ae]