In the wake of a bird flu scare, doctors say there is no reason to panic as the chances of the virus infecting a human is very remote. This is because the receptors of the H5N1 virus are not located in the upper respiratory tract like Influenza ‘A’ H1N1 (swine flu).
V. Ravi, head of the Department of Neurovirology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), told The Hindu that the receptors of H5N1 are deep down in the lungs, unlike in H1N1 where the virus can attach itself to a human being through the nasal cavity. “The human body has several defence barriers in the upper respiratory tract to check the virus. A person has to inhale high loads of the virus and they should go deep down into the respiratory tract to get infected,” he said.
Dr. Ravi advised against any panic and said only those who are in contact with infected birds and health workers examining poultry workers are at risk. “Not even a single case of bird flu among human beings has been reported in India,” he said.
Bird flu
* Transmitted by inhalation, not by ingestion
* Wash eggs before use, as surface may be contaminated
* Cook chicken well
* Poultry workers should not touch bird droppings with bare hands
* Poultry workers should wear protective gear while working in infected animal enclosures
