What Is the Origin of Bird Flu?

Though far more common in birds than humans, bird flu captured headlines in recent years as people began to contract the disease. Origins of the virus date back much further than the modern notoriety.

Historical Occurences

• The first recorded case of bird flu, more properly known as avian influenza, occurred in 1878 Italy, according to Avianinfluenza.org. But most health experts agree the disease probably dates back much further, possibly to the beginning of human existence. Modern medical research suggests a link between a mutation of the bird flu and the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918. Cited as the most devastating epidemic in human history, the 1918 flu killed between 20 million and 40 million people worldwide, according to Stanford University.

Behind the Name

• Bird flu is known as such because it naturally occurs and is most contagious among birds. Infected birds carry the disease in their intestines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease is secreted in bird saliva, fecal matter and nasal drippings, spreading rapidly from bird to bird and hitting particularly hard the populations of domesticated birds---such as chickens and turkeys---once introduced to a captive group. The disease often is fatal among birds.

Avian Flu and Humans

• Though humans typically avoid avian flu infections, some forms of the virus have spread to mankind in recorded cases since 1997, the CDC reports. Most infections occurred because of human contact with infected live poultry or the secretions of infected birds. Once contracted by people, the disease does not tend to spread from human to human. But because all flu viruses possess the ability to mutate, scientists and world health groups continue to monitor bird flu cases---particularly where they are most prevalent in Asia---for forms that can spread among people. Symptoms of bird flu in humans often reflect those found in traditional flu cases and can be fatal. And the CDC reports that since 2003, about 400 cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian flu virus have been reported by more than a dozen countries.

Misconceptions

• Though the disease often occurs among birds bred for human consumption, eating poultry is not considered a risk factor for contracting avian flu. People who touch infected poultry during slaughtering, feather removal and butchering remain most at risk, but consumers tend to eat poultry after thorough cooking processes that kill the virus.

Treatment and Prevention

• The strain of modern avian flu affecting humans resists at least two common antiviral medications used in fighting other flu strains. Though it is believed some available medications may be effective in fighting the disease in people, medical researchers continue to study the issue. The challenge, as with all flu viruses, remains the ability of the disease to mutate and adapt to certain forms of treatment. Preventing spread of the virus requires frequent hand washing---particularly if working with at-risk bird populations---along with proper cooking of poultry and thorough cleaning of all tools and surfaces that come into contact with poultry or wild birds.