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How do people catch bird flu?
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Until fairly recently, it was considered that bird flu spreads only among birds. However, in 1997 in Hong Kong it was established that the virus caused the death of several people.
Humans catch the virus via direct contact with infected live birds. The virus is contained in bird excrement; its dry particles get into the air and are then inhaled by humans.
The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of a common flu and include fever, discomfort, sore throat and cough, and in some cases—conjunctivitis.
However, scientists are particularly concerned by the results of research into the most recent lethal cases in Vietnam. As it turned out, the bird flu virus can affect all organs, and not just the lungs. It can mean that some diseases and even deaths, which were previously not considered related to bird flu, may have been caused by this very virus.
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