As the temperature rises, migratory birds begin to migrate, and the migration of birds brings vitality to the northern land, but also increases the risk of avian influenza transmission.
Avian influenza virus belongs to influenza A virus, and the subtypes of avian influenza virus that can directly infect humans have been found so far: H5N1, H7N1, H7N2, H7N3, H7N7, H9N2 and H7N9 subtypes. Among them, the H5N1 subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza and human infection with H7N9 avian influenza are of particular concern.
1. Transmission routes of avian influenza
Avian influenza viruses are mainly stored in birds living in wetlands and aquatic environments, where they can transmit the virus to more susceptible poultry, and avian influenza is mainly transmitted from birds to humans through contact with infected birds and their excreta.
2. The main symptoms of human infection with avian influenza
The incubation period for human infection with avian influenza is generally less than 7 days, with an average of 3-4 days. The onset is acute, and the initial symptoms are generally flu-like, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and may be accompanied by headache, muscle aches, diarrhea and other systemic symptoms. Severe patients develop rapidly, and most of them develop severe pneumonia 3-7 days after the onset of the disease, and most of the body temperature lasts above 39 °C, and they have difficulty breathing, and hemoptysis can be used to produce sputum. It often progresses rapidly to acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, shock, impaired consciousness, and even multi-organ dysfunction.
3. How to prevent human infection with avian influenza?
1. Try to avoid going to live poultry markets or stalls, do not buy live poultry, do not slaughter live poultry by yourself, and buy and eat fresh, live and frozen poultry and their products with quarantine certificates.
2. If sick or dead wild birds are found in the wild, do not touch them easily, and report to the wildlife (forestry) management department in the area where they are located in time.
3. Pay attention to food hygiene, poultry meat, poultry eggs, etc. must be cooked and cooked thoroughly; pay attention to kitchen hygiene, cutting boards to separate raw and cooked.
4. Practice good personal hygiene.
1) Wash your hands frequently: Wash your hands with soap and running water in time after touching birds or their droppings, and do not touch your eyes, mouth and nose with unclean hands.
2）打喷嚏或咳嗽时掩住口鼻。
3) Pay attention to the living and working environment is clean and ventilated.
5. Strengthen physical exercise, maintain sufficient sleep, avoid overwork, pay attention to keeping warm, pay attention to a variety of diets, and balance nutrition.
6. If you have fever and respiratory symptoms, you should wear a mask, go to a regular medical institution for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible, and tell the doctor the contact history of poultry, especially sick and dead poultry, whether you have been to a live poultry market, and where you have traveled recently.
7. Occupational groups engaged in poultry breeding, transportation, sales, slaughtering, etc., should do a good job of personal protection (wearing gloves, masks, work clothes, etc.) when coming into contact with poultry, and pay attention to thoroughly cleaning their hands with disinfectant and water after contact;
8. Medical personnel should make differential diagnoses when discovering suspicious cases, and carry out testing and case reports in a timely manner.
Author: Zhang Zhaoyu
Source: Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Editor: Bai Bing, Sun Kaifeng
Proofreading: Qiu Wei, Chen Zeming
Preliminary review: Sun Baijun
Review: Xu Jiang