Introduction
Welcome to the Brandeis University Avian Influenza (“Bird Flu”) Resources web site. These pages are designed to provide practical and timely information about the H5N1 virus. The site also includes a section on general emergency preparedness. Being prepared can ease fears and reduce the impact of disaster and disease.Throughout the history of civilization, humanity has been ravaged by plagues and epidemics. Influenza of pandemic proportions is just one of many communicable diseases worrying the world. International travel and global trade allow multiple opportunities for disease organisms to spread. A troubling aspect of the current H5N1 version of avian influenza is that the disease travels with migratory waterfowl, over which we have no control.
The good news is that for the first time in history, we have had ample warning of an emerging disease threat. The first human fatality from the H5N1 virus took place in 1997. Government and international health organizations, including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have been on the watch ever since.
Some more good news
- Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has yet to arrive in the United States
- H5N1 cannot spread from human to human now.
- Only a small number of people in close contact with infected chickens have contracted the disease and died.
- Properly handled and cooked poultry (internal temperature to 160 degrees Fahrenheit) is safe to eat.