Flu viruses that infect humans link to a receptor called alpha 2,6, which resides in mammals' respiratory systems. Why Did Ancient Europeans Just Disappear 14,500 Years Ago? Also Read - World's first Covid-19 human challenge study to begin in UK: What's it all about? Bird flu. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. H5N1 is a type of influenza virus that causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or \"bird flu\"). With the many common symptoms, it may be hard to diagnose just based on clinical features. You can find out more-. An analysis of three other pandemics over the last century also suggests pandemic viruses cause excess mortality in âunusually young populations.â COVID-19 An analysis of countries and US states or major cities with at least 250 COVID-19 deaths as of 4th April reports that individuals aged <65 accounts for less than 10% of all COVID-19 deaths. Currently, influenza (H5N1) infection is a zoonosis with a 60% case-fatality rate for affected persons over 3 continents; the virus could mutate to become directly transmissible among humans ().This potential for pandemic … Not everyone is happy with the work. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. This time it is the revisitation of the bird flu. Generally, the virus is unlikely to infect humans. WHO says that most people infected with COVID-19 virus experience mild to moderate respiratory illness, and may recover soon. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 586 human cases of the H5N1 flu since 2003, and notes that as of Feb. 22, 59 percent (346 individuals) of those people had died. This paper will be published online by the journal Science, at the Science Express website. "The virus was a bit different," he noted. The big question is how that translates to the rest of the population. With a mortality rate of 60%, the bird flu is as deadly as Ebola. According to the World Health Organisation, avian flu does not normally infect humans. 50% Covid-19 recovered patients found with damaged heart. The main cause for concern is the high mortality rate - 60 per cent in humans who contract the most common strain of bird flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 586 human cases of the H5N1 flu since 2003, and notes that as of Feb. 22, 59 percent (346 individuals) of those people had died. Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards. When people do become infected with H5N1 virus, the mortality rate is about 60 per cent. He also noted that Palese's study refers to H5N1 studies in Hong Kong, not H1N1 as Osterholm claims. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, which studies threats of bioterrorism, says there are flaws in the methods used. Wolfe added that the 1918 flu pandemic was likely less than 2% mortality, so whether the mortality rate is 58.6% or it is closer to 20%, "...either way there is still plenty to fear from H5N1." He added that if it turns out many more people are infected than get sick, H5N1 may look a lot less scary. "Peter [Palese]'s paper just confuses the issue because of the Hong Kong experience," Osterholm told LiveScience, adding that only more recent studies, of a virus more similar to that plaguing humans today, should be used. This is the proportion of people with confirmed cases of a particular condition who die due to that condition. Bird flu is much more virulent in humans as compared to COVID-19 but is fortunately rare among humans.”, “Oseltamivir is an antiviral that has efficacy against bird flu, while Remdesivir is possibly the only antiviral that may have some effect on SARS-CoV-2.”. Covid-19, on the contrary, spreads rapidly between human. How can a human contract bird-flu? However, the challenge is the high mortality. About 5-10⦠In some good news, the Maharashtra government has informed that the daily mortality trend among birds has been on a decline for the last eight days. Covid patient often have diarrhoea and loss of sense of smell and taste,” says Dr Jai Mullerpattan, Consultant Pulmonologist, P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC. Six of the 18 humans died. With a mortality rate of 60%, the bird flu is as deadly as Ebola. Even so, that doesn't mean H5N1 is benign. He added, “While avian influenza can have a high mortality rate, it rarely spreads from one human to another. The WHO believes that the H5N1 strain has a mortality rate of around 60 percent but there is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted through eating cooked poultry. Taking an average of the studies Palese used, Osterholm said, is therefore misleading. 35 years experience Travel Medicine. H7N9 infection has been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, and vac … Black Death (75 - 200 million killed) 1346 - 1353 Perhaps the best known pandemic to ever hit humanity, the Black Death, racked up an obscenely high death toll of between 75 and 200 million people. Dr. Sarah Kohl answered. While it doesnât currently spread well among humans, experts believe it can mutate into more virulent forms. He plans to publish a study in the journal mBio tomorrow (Feb. 24) showing that the virus might be even more deadly than the current mortality rate shows. Currently, India is facing a double whammy with coronavirus and avian flu looming large. For WHO, to get counted, a person must have an acute illness and fever within a week and test positive for exposure to the H5 protein that gives the virus part of its name. Coronavirus: Deadly fungus spread rampantly at US Hospital COVID-19 Ward, A new test can now detect COVID-19 antibodies in seconds: Quantify patient response to vaccines, Dr Reddy's initiates process for EUA of Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India, COVID-19 resurgence in Maharashtra: State braces for war against contagion, tough measures announced, Pfizer-BioNTech warns that South Africa variant of COVID-19 could reduce vaccine protection, How do you know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe? Bird Flu has almost 60 per cent mortality rate. People who come in close proximity to infected birds are most vulnerable to the spread of the infection. Those studies involved a total of 12,677 people. (Palese's paper does consider the Hong Kong outbreak separately and gets the same numbers as Osterholm.). Also referred to as avian influenza, it is the diseases caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which occasionally infects humans. Copyright © 2021 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. When people do become infected, the mortality rate is about 60%. Both HPAI and LPAI viruses can spread rapidly through flocks of poultry. While it doesn’t currently spread well among humans, experts believe it can mutate into more virulent forms. Estimates of pandemic influenza mortality ranged from 0.03 percent of the worldâs population during the 1968 H3N2 pandemic to 1 percent to 3 percent of the worldâs population during the 1918 H1N1 pandemic. Please refresh the page and try again. The protein H5 only connects to a molecule called alpha 2,3 linked sialic acid. NY 10036. The disease comes with a mortality rate of roughly 50 percent, but it can vary from 25 to 90 percent in some cases. Also Read - Covid-19 on rise again in India: Here’s why you need to worry! With a mortality rate currently estimated at around 3.4 per cent according to the latest WHO estimates, it is less deadly to those who become affected than Ebola, Sars or Mers. Those experiments showed that H5N1 could be modified enough to survive in the air and be transmitted between mammals like ferrets. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. For instance, one of the studies included in the analysis looked at the 1997 bird-flu outbreak in Hong Kong, which, Osterholm said, raises the number of people who were seropositive. may provide clues and confirmation by a throat, or nasal swab test would be necessary.”. Flu vs. COVID-19 fatality rate . The H5N1 influenza virus, also known as "bird flu," may well be more prevalent and less deadly than health officials had thought, according to a new study published online today (Feb. 23) by the journal Science. Until now, no cases of human interaction have been reported in the recent onset of bird-flu. Palese and his colleagues looked at 20 studies of H5N1 incidence rates, doing what is called a meta-analysis, or a study of studies. From 2013 to December 2019, 1568 cases have been reported with 616 deaths. But mortality rate … Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, However, it is a short-term flu and may be treated within days to weeks using anti-viral drugs. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. The Maharashtra animal husbandry department is riding high on confidence after depleting threat of the bird flu outbreak in the state. Associate Professor Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS, Haresh Salve says that âGood thing about Bird Flu is that human-to-human transmission is less reported. This study comes on the heels of controversy surrounding experiments with H5N1 by Ron Fouchier at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands and Yoshihiro Kawaoka the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Between 2006 and 2018, India reported a total of 225 epicenters of bird flu infection. Here’s what experts say, Go for a liver detox, but first know what it does to your body, Not sure if your organic skincare products has chemicals? Covid-19 on rise again in India: Here’s why you need to worry! In March 2013 it was reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) the first cases of human infections with avian influenza virus A (H7N9). Stay up to date on the coronavirus outbreak by signing up to our newsletter today. According to the World Health Organisation, avian flu does not normally infect humans. What is this bird flu and how serious is the bird flu situation in India? Others urged openness in order to understand better how such viruses can evolve into more dangerous forms. Mortality rate measures how frequently people die in a specific population during a specific time period.One way of looking at that is with the case fatality ratio. Additionally, bird flu patient may develop encephalopathy (damage to the brain) and confusion. Vincent Racaniello, professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University in New York, said he thinks the study is a good one, and points to the next step of looking at larger populations that aren't going to hospitals. In that pandemic, 50 million to 100 million people worldwide were killed during about a year in 1918 and 1919. If you like this story, share it with a friend! Anyone sick enough to do that is more likely to die to begin with, and in countries where avian flu is present, access to health care and hospitals is spotty, according to Palese. ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013. While India initially saw a slow surge in the coronavirus cases, it soon became the second country with the greatest number of cases. The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. 80% of the virus-related deaths were estimated to occur in those < 65 years of age. Dr, Mullerpattan says, “History of travel, occupation etc. In a press release from the American Society of Microbiology, Osterholm says the Hong Kong, the virus was H1N1, which is also influenza but genetically different from H5N1. Pandemic years are associated with many more cases of influenza and a higher case fatality rate than that seen in seasonal flu outbreaks. Photo tour of Jezero Crater: Here's where Perseverance will land on Mars, Original 'Stonehenge' discovered, echoing a legend of the wizard Merlin. In fact, the illness and mortality rates (U.S. Army) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. But it does mean that until someone studies whole populations and checks how many people with the virus show fewer severe effects, it is difficult to say exactly how dangerous H5N1 is. Another factor will be how easy it is to get the virus in the first place. A 21-year-old member asked: i'm traveling internationally, am i more likely to contract bird flu? Although the actual rate of mortality during a pandemic is unknowable in advance, it is pressing to predict the possible ranges for that lethality responsibly in advance. “An RT-PCR for avian influenza (bird flu) would be the test of choice for distinguishing the two and should be sent for all patients with respiratory symptoms in areas where outbreaks of bird flu have been detected in poultry or native birds,” he added. Visit our corporate site. However, the mortality rate is low – around 1-3% globally.”, Dr. Lancelot Pinto, Consultant Pulmonologist, P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC opines, “Person-to-person spread of bird flu does not occur, and it is predominantly transferred to humans from infected poultry and birds. 2003–07: H5N1, or “bird flu” ... health researchers estimated in a 2016 paper that this Ebola outbreak might result in a significant exacerbation of mortality rates from … They cited the danger that somebody might try using that data to create a biological weapon. But if the WHO is seeing only those who get to the hospital, it's likely that the number of people with the virus is higher, the researchers say. A vendor feeds chickens in Chengdu in 2005 following the countryâs fourth bird flu outbreak in three weeks. H5N1 is usually only present in birds. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus that affects the respiratory system. Frequently cited numbers are 20,000 deaths each year, and 37,000 annual deaths. File image. Bird flu is another disease thought to have emerged from China, and five strains of the virus can infect humans. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Some strains of bird flu, though, can be particularly dangerous to humans. Tags: Bird Flu in India Bird Flu Outbreak Bird flu symptoms COVID-19 Amid the Covid-19 pandemic , another scare has come to haunt the country. The extraordinarily high mortality rate of avian influenza (>60% for H5N1; approximately 30% for H7N9) is worrying and reasonably accurate. But none of these groups includes people who didn't end up in a hospital or clinic. They found that among that group, which was likely to have been exposed, about 1.2 percent on average were "seropositive" — showing antibodies to the virus. A 60% mortality rate is staggering. In India, no case of bird flu in humans has been detected so far, according to the Union health ministry. You will receive a verification email shortly. But this 50-percent-plus mortality rate may be misleading, according to the new study led by Peter Palese, chairman of the department of microbiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. There was a problem. Mortality/morbidity. According to the World Health Organization, human-to-human ⦠All rights reserved. In Madrid, Spain, fewer than 1,000 people died from influenza between May and June 1918. Coronavirus currently has a mortality rate of two per cent. Unusual mortality of 16 birds has also been reported at DDA park Hastsal Village in the national capital, and samples have been sent to a testing lab. Bird flu in India. To address the dilemma, TheHealthSite asked experts to help readers understand the difference. However, sporadic human infections with avian flu have occurred. That means the death rate would be lower. But what is most concerning is that this disease has a high mortality rate of 60%. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says human cases of bird flu occur "occasionally" but when it happens, the mortality rate is about 60 per cent. “Both present with symptoms like fever, body ache, cough, cold and breathlessness. This is also the strain of bird flu that is passed on to humans. It usually spreads through exposure to sick birds such as poultry. Humans have it as well, but it is deeper in the lungs and harder for the virus to reach. Mortality rate: 60% Severe avian flu is spread from close contact with infected birds. © Shitalkumar Mukane, district deputy commissioner, animal husbandry, Pune, told TOI, “In avian influenza, mortality rate in a flock is very high. To add to the crisis, bird flu or avian flu has knocked on the doors yet again. But mortality rate is relatively lower in Newcastle disease. H5N1 has a high mortality rate, while other types donât. With two major diseases looming large in the country, people are bombarded with so much information that they can’t seem contemplate the difference between the diseases. That's because the cases reported by WHO include only people who were sick enough to go to a hospital and be laboratory-tested for the virus. In each study the percentage of people whose blood serum showed evidence of a prior H5N1 infection ranged from 0 to 11.7 percent, though the last figure came from people living in close quarters with those who were infected. Elderly and people with co-morbidities are more likely to develop severe illness. But the virus doesn't seem to transmit well in its wild state from person to person. There have been very few instances of seropositive individuals without clinical signs of infection. "Until we do that there's no way to know," Racaniello said. Unlike earlier pandemics and seasonal fluoutbreaks, the 1918 pandemic flu saw high mortality rates among healthy adults. Credit: China Photos / Getty Images. Mortality rate for humans with bird flu is about 60 percent, and the symptoms arenât pleasant. (The "linked" part is between two carbon atoms). Since the ⦠The pre-pandemic case fatality ratio of over 50% provides a grim backdrop for the fact that the currently circulating H5N1 strains have certain genetic similarities with the Spanish Influenzapandemic virus. Even a 2 percent infection rate is a lot of people in a group of millions — say, a city the size of Bangkok. However, sporadic human infections with avian flu have occurred. Know the difference between the two and if you should be scared. "If you put your head in the freezer and your feet in the oven, of course the average temperature will be just right," he said. If contracted it can be lethal with a mortality rate of more than 50 per cent in humans over the past 15 years. Human cases of H5N1 avian influenza occur occasionally, but it is difficult to transmit the infection from person to person. To put this in perspective, note that coronavirus has a mortality rate of only 2.1% while SARS had a mortality rate of 9.6%. According to the CDC from April 2009 to April 2010 there were about 60.8 million cases of the swine flu with 12,469 deaths in the United States. The strain was identified as H5N1- the same strain that is in India now â with a high mortality rate. Birds have that receptor in their respiratory and digestive tracts. It is said that these birds were tested positive for some bird flu. It is common to encounter clinical attack rate ranges for seasonal flu of 5% to 15% in the literature. The highly lethal second and third waves o⦠For pandemic flu, clinical attack rates are reported in the range of 25% to 50%. What started in Wuhan, China took the world by a storm and turned our lives upside down. Bird flu and COVID-19, both are flu-like illnesses with many common and overlapping features, which is why it can be difficult to distinguish between the two. Mortality rates were not appreciably above normal; in the United States ~75,000 flu-related deaths were reported in the first six months of 1918, compared to ~63,000 deaths during the same time period in 1915. Some experts called for withholding the research or at least redacting certain data from publication (Fouchier's and Kawaoka's papers were published in Science and Nature, respectively). It has also been detected in crows. It causes many illnesses, including the common cold and flu. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, (Image credit: Cynthia Goldsmith, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 'Ice age' horse skeleton found in Utah backyard isn't what we thought, Egyptian pharaoh was executed on the battlefield, mummy reveals, Watch NASA's Perseverance rover land on Mars, A new 7 minutes of terror: See the nail-biting Mars landing of NASA's Perseverance rover in this video, Planet 9 probably doesn't exist, new paper argues. “Swine Flu” The US Centre for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) estimated that 150, 000 to 575,000 people died from (H1N1) pandemic virus infection in the first year of the outbreak. Human to human transmission is rare but when people do become infected with H5N1 virus, the mortality rate is about 60 per cent WHO suggests that it is safe to eat properly prepared and cooked poultry bird flu mortality rate. The outlook for bird flu infection depends on the severity of infection and the type of influenza virus causing it. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more. New York, How Serious is the Disease? [Take LiveScience's Bird Flu Quiz]. HPAI virus infection in poultry (such as with HPAI H5 or HPAI H7 viruses) can cause disease that affects multiple internal organs with mortality up to 90% to 100%, often within 48 hours. World's first Covid-19 human challenge study to begin in UK: What's it all about? What separated the flu from other influenza outbreaks was its unusual mortality pattern, which saw it strike down completely healthy young adults. During a typical year in the United States, 30,000 to 50,000 persons die as a result of influenza viral infection. To the Editor: The highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 presents a major challenge to global public health systems. When people do become infected, the mortality rate is about 60%. According to the World Health Organization, human-to-human transmission does … Mortality rate: 60% Severe avian flu is spread from close contact with infected birds. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. Bird flu has spread across the country. Read here, Pancreatic cancer: Combination therapy may be able to suppress tumour growth significantly, Suffered depression: Virat Kohli opens up on mental health issues in cricket world. Also Read - 50% Covid-19 recovered patients found with damaged heart. Since the first human case in 1997, H5N1 has killed nearly 60 per cent of the people who have been infected. People who work with poultry are obviously more likely to be exposed. In fact, doing so would reveal that 0.5 percent of the participants were seropositive. Human cases of H5N1 avian influenza occur occasionally, but it is difficult to transmit the infection from person to person. Basically, there could be a lot more people out there who get the virus and either don't show symptoms or don't feel bad enough to see a doctor. The department of animal husbandry has reported 25 episodes of H5N1 bird flu in poultry in 15 states from 2006 (when the first outbreak occurred in Maharashtra and Gujarat) till 2015. Related articles GMB's Dr Hilary hails UK coronavirus vaccine as effective as flu jabs While it doesnât currently spread well among humans, experts believe it can mutate into more virulent forms. H5N1 is a type of influenza virus that causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or "bird flu"). Since the confirmation of outbreak of bird flu at Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachalâs Kangra district on January 4, the area is now witnessing substantial decrease in mortality of ⦠COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, turned out to be the biggest catastrophe the world has seen since the 1918 pandemic. But first, let us understand what bird flu and coronavirus exactly mean. Infection of poultry with HPAI viruses can cause severe disease with high mortality. It was first detected in 18 humans in 1997 working in a live bird market in Hong Kong (again Chinese).