How dangerous is bird flu?

Influenza A/H5 is a form of influenza caused by the influenza A/H5N1 virus. This is a type of influenza virus that causes avian influenza, which can spread from birds to humans and cause serious complications.

Influenza A/H5N1 is considered a dangerous form of influenza and requires special attention in prevention and treatment. Influenza A/H5N1 is mainly transmitted from poultry to humans through direct or indirect contact with feces, urine or respiratory secretions of infected poultry.

Human-to-human transmission of influenza A/H5N1 remains rare and usually occurs in close and repeated contact with infected people, especially in medical or health care settings.

Patients with influenza A/H5N1 may have symptoms such as: fever, cough, fatigue, runny nose, headache, muscle pain, sore throat... Severe cases may have acute respiratory failure due to severe pneumonia or brain damage manifested by rapid progression of respiratory symptoms such as rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, cyanosis, impaired perception, drowsiness, coma.

According to Dr. Ngo Thi Mai Phuong, the best way to prevent A/H5 flu is to cut off the chain of infection by avoiding contact with poultry infected or suspected of being infected with A/H5N1 flu virus, wearing a mask when in contact with poultry or people with flu, washing hands regularly with soap and clean water, avoiding contact with people with suspected flu symptoms, eating cooked food, ensuring food hygiene and safety, good personal hygiene, and getting vaccinated with available respiratory vaccines (such as seasonal flu, pneumococcal, whooping cough) to have the best respiratory system.