Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

What is avian influenza?

Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a virus that primarily affects wild birds. It can also spread to domestic birds and other animals, including dairy cattle, and occasionally infect people.

People can become infected through close contact with infected animals or environments contaminated with the virus. People who work with or handle infected animals may be at greater risk of exposure.

There is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission of avian influenza.

Infected birds and other animals can spread the virus through saliva, mucus, and feces. People and animals may become infected when the virus enters the eyes, nose, or mouth.

How can I protect myself?

The risk to the general public is low.

The best way to prevent the bird flu is to:

• Avoid contact with sick or dead birds and other animals.
• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) if you must handle sick or dead birds or other animals, or work in their environment.
• Avoid raw milk and unpasteurized dairy products because they may contain harmful germs, including avian influenza. Do not feed pets raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, or raw meat, including raw pet foods.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the seasonal flu vaccine. Although it does not prevent bird flu, it reduces the risk of co-infection with human and avian influenza viruses.

What are symptoms of avian influenza in people?

Avian influenza symptoms in people can include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Muscle or body aches
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Eye redness or irritation
• Difficulty breathing
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Severe respiratory disease

Reporting sick or dead animals

Domestic Birds:

• Report sick/dead domestic birds using the online form, or call the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Avian Health Program: 1-800-606-3056.

Wild Birds:

• Use an online formto report sick/dead wild birds suspected of avian influenza to theWashington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Livestock:

• To report sick livestock, isolate affected animals and contact your veterinarian and Washington State Department of Agricultureat 360-902-1878 or emailahealth@agr.wa.gov

Additional Information

• Avian Influenza | Washington State Department of Health
• Bird Flu Current Situation and Data | Washington State Department of Health
• Bird Flu and Commercial Agriculture | Washington State Department of Health
• Raw Milk | Washington State Department of Health
• Avian Influenza | Washington State Department of Agriculture
• HPAI (H5N1) in Cattle- Producer Resources | Washington State Department of Agriculture

Communicable Disease

A communicable disease is one that is spread from one person to another through a variety of ways that include: contact with blood and bodily fluids; breathing in an airborne virus; or by being bitten by an insect.

How these diseases spread depends on the specific disease or infectious agent. Some ways in which communicable diseases spread are by:

• physical contact with an infected person, such as through touch (staphylococcus), sexual intercourse (gonorrhea, HIV), fecal/oral transmission (hepatitis A), or droplets (influenza, TB)
• contact with a contaminated surface or object (Norwalk virus), food (salmonella, E. coli), blood (HIV, hepatitis B), or water (cholera);
• bites from insects or animals capable of transmitting the disease (mosquito: malaria and yellow fever; flea: plague); and
• travel through the air, such as tuberculosis or measles.

Communicable Disease programs prevent the spread of disease through surveillance, outbreak investigation, case management and education.