Influence of Direct Contact with Poultry on Acquisition of Avian Influenza (H5N1): A Literature Review

Avian influenza, otherwise known as the disease associated with H5N1 virus, has been a public health concern for many years. Especially in the past decade, researchers have struggled to find effective treatments for this disease because of the severe symptoms it causes. In 1997, it was found that this virus infected both birds and humans, and the first documented case of transmission from birds to humans occurred. In 1999 in Hong Kong, further cases were documented in which poultry was responsible for transmitted the disease to humans, and it was established that poultry was the main mode of transmission of the disease. In 2003, human-to-human contact was correlated with transmission of the disease, but poultry remained the main source of transmission. Documented cases occurred in China and the Netherlands, and the U.S. was alerted to the disease and the potential for it to spread. In the years since then, epidemiologists in the U.S. have deemed avian influenza as a serious potential threat and have employed preventive health measures to combat the disease