[Avian influenza A (H5N1) infectious in both birds and humans in South-Eastern Asian countries].
Avian influenza affects most types of birds and occurs in epidemics on poultry farms. The fatal disease is named "highly pathogenic avian influenza" and is caused by influenza A virus subtypes H5 and H7. The natural reservoir is the migratory waterfowl that occasionally infects domestic poultry. In 1997 in Hong Kong, 18 persons were infected and 6 of them died. At the end of 2003 and the beginning of 2004, avian influenza H5N1 infected numerous farms in several South-Eastern Asian countries. The virus was transmitted to humans in close contact with infected birds. A total of 34 persons were infected and 23 of them died. There is currently a considerable concern about the H5N1 avian influenza that has infected humans: the high virulence, evolution rate, the possibility of recombination with other influenza viruses, how H5N1 variants that infect humans or different approaches to the development of influenza vaccines.
Pérez-Breña
Pilar
P
Servicio de Virología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. pperez@isciii.es
Casas
Inmaculada
I
D000818:Animals; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D001717:Birds; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D014774:Virulence