''This article covers'' usage of the words ''used to describe flu in birds. For the current concern about the transmission of avian flu to humans, see H5N1 and Transmission And Infection Of H5N1 .''
Get more data on AVIAN FLU (and related topics) by clicking on the links in this article.
Avian flu is any Flu caused by a virus adapted to Birds .
It is also called bird flu, '''avian influenza''' and '''bird influenza'''.
The only known such viruses are Influenza A Virus es. All subtypes (but not all strains of all subtypes) of this species are adapted to birds, so for many purposes avian flu virus ''is'' Influenza A Virus (the "A" does not stand for "avian").
However most people use "avian flu" to mean H5N1 which is the subtype of the species Influenza A Virus that is the world's major Flu Pandemic threat.
Four ways of correctly saying one thing and incorrectly saying five things
So "avian flu", "bird flu", "avian influenza", and "bird influenza" all mean the same thing; but are all used to mean these very different things:
- flu:
- ---flu from Influenza A Viruses which are adapted to birds (the technically correct meaning)
- ---the flu acquired from ''any'' Influenza A Viruses
- ---the H5N1 Flu (flu acquired from H5N1 )
- virus:
- ---Influenza A viruses which are adapted to birds
- ---the Influenza A viruses
- ---the H5N1 subtype of the Influenza A virus.
Detailed explanation of terms
"Flu" is short for " Influenza ". The two words mean exactly the same thing. No difference in meaning, only a difference in spelling and pronunciation.
"Bird" and "avian" used as an adjective in front of either mean exactly the same thing. No difference in meaning, only a difference in spelling and pronunciation.
So that gives us four ways of saying the same thing.
All four mean (1)a disease called a flu (2)from an infection from a virus adapted to birds (which includes no viruses other than Influenza A viruses, which includes '''all''' subtypes of Influenza A viruses, but does not include all '''strains''' of Influenza A viruses).
These four terms do not mean the virus itself, although people often use it that way anyway. These four terms do not mean just any Influenza A virus flu. Some Influenza A viruses have adapted to animals other than birds.
Illustrative examples of correct useage
In technical contexts, correct useage of terms is necessary because precise distinctions are the essence of the communication.
- "Avian influenza strains are those well adapted to birds" EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
- "An outbreak of influenza A ( H5N1 ), also know as 'avian flu' or 'bird flu,' has been reported in several countries throughout Asia." Being known as is distinguished from actually being. OSHA
- "Avian influenza virus usually refers to influenza A viruses found chiefly in birds, but infections can occur in humans." CDC Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
- "Of the few avian influenza viruses that have crossed the species barrier to infect humans, H5N1 has caused the largest number of cases of severe disease and death in humans. Unlike normal seasonal influenza, where infection causes only mild respiratory symptoms in most people, the disease caused by H5N1 follows an unusually aggressive clinical course, with rapid deterioration and high fatality." Seasonal influenza is Human Flu . WHO Avian influenza frequently asked questions
- "avian influenza HA bind alpha 2-3 Sialic Acid receptors while human influenza HA bind alpha 2-6 sialic acid receptors. Swine influenza viruses have the ability to bind both types of sialic acid receptors." Greninger Paper (PDF)
- Sometimes a virus contains both avian adapted genes and human adapted genes. Both the H2N2 and H3N2 pandemic strains contained avian flu virus RNA segments. "While the pandemic human influenza viruses of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2) clearly arose through reassortment between human and avian viruses, the influenza virus causing the ' Spanish Flu ' in 1918 appears to be entirely derived from an avian source (Belshe 2005)." Chapter Two : Avian Influenza by Timm C. Harder and Ortrud Werner from excellent free on-line Book called ''Influenza Report 2006'' which is a medical textbook that provides a comprehensive overview of epidemic and pandemic influenza.''
Illustrative examples of imprecise useage
In nontechnical contexts, imprecise useage of terms is typical when discussing complex things.
- "According to the World Health Organization, avian flu, specifically the H5N1 strain, has been reported in birds, both wild and tame, in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa since 2003." Here H5N1 is called a strain of "avian flu"; not distinguishing between a disease and a causitive agent of a disease. News report in lifestyle section
- "A 1,000 square mile quarantine zone to combat an outbreak of bird flu was lifted in Scotland today - despite the spread of a similar disease south of the border." Here "bird flu" is used to mean "Asian lineage HPAI A( H5N1 ) flu" (which is a bird flu) and contrasted with flu from an avian adapted strain of H7N3 (which is also a bird flu). (Click the links for details.) News ''Avian flu quarantine zone lifted'' published May 1, 2006.
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