Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Bird flu (Avian influenza) top the list of most deadly viral diseases challenging the poultry industry. It has the incubation period of 2 to 7 days and capable of wiping the entire flock before you can even contact a veterinary doctor, if care is not taken. Bird flu is caused by Type A viruses which are commonly found in wild birds like waterfowl. A wild bird can be a carrier of bird flu without being sick but once it is spread to domestic birds and Psittacines like parrot, the impact is often fatal. Another danger of it is that it can be transmitted from infected birds to human being. Causes Of Bird Flu The disease is caused by viruses that belong to the family Orthomyxoviridae . The viruses have two surface proteins; haemagglutinin and neuraminidase which determine their subtype and the animal species they infect. There are 16 haemagglutinin and 9 neuraminidase types. When viruses of the two haemagglutinin types (H5 and H7) infect domestic poultry, they often mutate and virulen