By 

Brandi Jones, MSN-Ed, RN-BC

Published on May 14, 2024

 Medically reviewed by 

Kate Colby, MPH

• https://www.health.com/bird-flu-symptoms-8641847

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Common Symptoms
• Less Common Symptoms
• Rare Symptoms
• Symptoms in Birds
• When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
• FAQs

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Bird flu, or avian influenza, is an illness humans can get from animals infected with avian influenza A viruses. There are several types of bird flu viruses, including the more common H5N1. Bird flu can be found in wild waterfowl like geese or human-owned poultry such as chickens and ducks. Sometimes, other animals, including dairy cows, can carry the virus.¹

It is rare for bird flu to spread to humans. However, you can acquire bird flu if you touch an infected animal’s feces (poop) or bodily fluids and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes. It’s also possible to breathe in the virus. Usually, bird flu doesn’t spread between people, but experts worry person-to-person transmission might become a problem someday.²

Bird flu symptoms in humans can vary widely in severity. Some people might not get any symptoms. Other people can get mild symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, and eye redness. Severe symptoms like pneumonia are also possible. Symptoms may come on suddenly or gradually worsen over time.³ 

Common Symptoms

Often, bird flu symptoms are similar to those of the seasonal flu. This might include a group of upper-respiratory symptoms, which are symptoms that affect your nose, throat, and airways.²

Fever

While it doesn’t always occur, a fever is often one of the initial signs of bird flu. A fever is a body temperature above the normal range. With bird flu, the fever is typically around 100 degrees or higher. You may experience chills with the fever.² 

Sore Throat

Pain, scratchiness, or irritation in the throat is a common symptom of bird flu and may occur before other symptoms. A sore throat can range from mild to severe. It may worsen when talking or swallowing, sometimes making it uncomfortable to eat or drink.²

Upper Respiratory Symptoms

You might experience a runny nose, cough, or congestion. In more severe cases of bird flu, you may have shortness of breath. This can indicate pneumonia, a lung infection, or other serious breathing problem that requires immediate medical attention.⁴

Aches, Fatigue, and Malaise

If you become infected with bird flu, you may have joint or muscle aches, fatigue, or malaise. Fatigue is extreme tiredness or lack of energy. Malaise is a general feeling of being unwell. These symptoms often occur with a sore throat, fever, and cough.² 

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)

Pink eye (conjunctivitis) is inflammation of the conjunctiva, a clear layer of tissue that lines the eyelids and covers the white of the eye. Symptoms of pink eye can include:⁵

• Eye redness 
• Burning or itching of the eyes 
• Excess tearing or discharge (fluid) from the eyes
• Small bumps in the inner eyelids
• Swelling of the eyes
• Swollen glands near the ears

Less Common Symptoms

While not as common as upper-respiratory symptoms, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting can occur with bird flu.²

Diarrhea is loose or watery bowel movements that happen three or more times a day. You might also experience cramps or pain in the abdomen or urgently need to go to the bathroom.⁶

Nausea is a feeling of stomach unease, as though you might vomit. You might vomit.

Rare Symptoms

In rare cases, bird flu can cause swelling or irritation in the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. This may cause dizziness, problems with concentration, or headaches. In severe cases, you could have seizures, where your body shakes uncontrollably due to a burst of electrical activity in the brain, or fall into a coma (when you can’t wake up).⁷

Symptoms in Birds

Knowing the signs of bird flu in birds themselves can help you determine whether you might have been exposed to and contracted the virus. Some birds with bird flu may now show any signs of illness. When birds do have symptoms, they may include:⁴

• Behavioral changes
• Bluish skin color
• Difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Excess tear production
• Leg bleeding
• Less egg production
• Loss of appetite
• Rapidly progressive illness that causes death
• Ruffled feathers
• Head and face swelling

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

If you suspect or know you’ve come into contact with an infected animal, contact your local health department. They may check in with you over the next week or so to see if you’ve developed any symptoms.⁸

Contact a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of bird flu—especially if you might have been exposed to an infected animal. They might perform diagnostic testing, such as a throat or nasal swab. These tests are more accurate in the first few days of illness.³

You’ll want to get immediate care if you are experiencing any severe symptoms like seizures or trouble breathing. It’s also important to seek emergency care if you have signs of severe dehydration (when your body doesn’t have enough water to function correctly). Signs of severe dehydration include:⁹

• Confusion or irritability
• Dark urine or inability to produce urine 
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Extreme thirst
• Rapid breathing 
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sunken eyes
• Dry mouth
• Weakness

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday May 11, 2024 @10:34AM from the global-warning dept.

“Atmospheric levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide aren’t just on their way to yet another record high this year,” reports the Washington Post.

“They’re rising faster than ever, according to the latest in a 66-year-long series of observations.”Carbon dioxide levels were 4.7 parts per million higher in March than they were a year earlier, the largest annual leap ever measured at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration laboratory atop a volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island. And from January through April, CO2 concentrations increased faster than they have in the first four months of any other year…

For decades, CO2 concentrations at Mauna Loa in the month of May have broken previous records. But the recent acceleration in atmospheric CO2, surpassing a record-setting increase observed in 2016, is perhaps a more ominous signal of failing efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and the damage they cause to Earth’s climate. “Not only is CO2 still rising in the atmosphere — it’s increasing faster and faster,” said Arlyn Andrews, a climate scientist at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. A historically strong El Niño climate pattern that developed last year is a big reason for the spike. But the weather pattern only punctuated an existing trend in which global carbon emissions are rising even as U.S. emissions have declined and the growth in global emissions has slowed. The spike is “not surprising,” said Ralph Keeling, director of the CO2 Program at Scripps Institution, “because we’re also burning more fossil fuel than ever….”

El Niño-linked droughts in tropical areas including Indonesia and northern South America mean less carbon storage within plants, Keeling said. Land-based ecosystems around the world tend to give off more carbon dioxide during El Niño because of the changes in precipitation and temperature the weather pattern brings, Andrews added. And for CO2 concentrations to fall back below 400 parts per million, it would take more than two centuries even if emissions dropped close to zero by the end of this century, she added.
This year’s reading “is more than 50 percent above preindustrial levels and the highest in at least 4.3 million years, according to NOAA.”

https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/05/11/0318225/the-earths-co2-levels-are-increasing-faster-than-ever?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR37LgPUQQVCwNLfhpB82cCpVharnk5jTu7wyW8Gb16h1bQRXmSicFA1fGE_aem_Aa3UL3LeAFUI0WJoYvFetOelZ4xpui-9Zg5Co7Jo6ddryRRbyZL9plOlIM1tyNtedrH8hUHm3lcw1PblOD3ngxKC