What are the Symptoms of Bird Flu?

Bird flu, otherwise known as avian influenza, is a disease that occurs in wild birds, without any obvious symptoms. Since the virus is highly contagious, it can be passed into domestic birds and poultry such as chickens, ducks and turkeys. The wild birds act as carriers and are usually less affected by it, whereas domestic birds, once infected with the virus, die within a short period of time.

Bird flu incubation time in humans is estimated to be about three to ten days. While human infection of bird flu is very rare, if there happens to be a major outbreak of bird flu in poultry, the people handling the birds directly often become unsuspecting candidates for bird flu infection. Bird excretion and even carcasses contain a highly contagious form of the virus.
Symptoms of bird flu include;

• Headache
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Fever
• Muscle ache
• Conjunctivitis
• Fatigue
• Runny nose
• Malaise

Bird flu in humans can and often do lead to more severe complications. Severe eye infection caused by bird flu can often lean to slight or even complete blindness. Pneumonia is also a complication caused by bird flu infection. The viral infection often causes acute respiratory distress in people. In some cases, infection can lead to inflammation of the brain and heart, which is ultimately fatal.