AVIAN INFLUENZA

Avian Flu - Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (125 KB): Excerpt:“Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious viral infection caused by the influenza virus Type "A", which can affect several species of food producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds”
CDC - Fact Sheet (137 KB): Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Excerpt:“Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them. ”
IFCNR - Fact Sheet (147 KB): International Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources (IFCNR)
Excerpt:“The yearly ritual of nations attempting to brace themselves against “Flu Season” brings a week or two of fever, coughs, sore throats, runny noses, aching muscles, headaches, abject fatigue and among society’s most vulnerable – the infirmed, the very young and the very old – pneumonia and death. In terms of dollars lost to economies due to the flu in humans, the United States alone tallies some $71 to 167 billion each year. Worldwide 250,000 to 500,000 humans, 36,000 in the U.S. and 4,500 to 9000 in Canadai die from influenza annually, typically but not always most are among the elderly. ”
Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic: Ministry of Health & Long Term Care
The 2006 Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP) is a collaborative effort that involved over 400 individuals and experts from across the healthcare sector, labour and government.
Pandemic Influenza (pdf) (1.38 MB): Presentation by Dr. Michael Gardam, Director, Infection Prevention and Control, University Health Network
Prevention and Control of Influenza due to Avian Influenza Virus A (H5N1): World Health Organization (WHO)
Excerpt:“Management of avian influenza cases will depend on assigning proper isolation areas in the hospital, barrier nursing and stocking PPE and availability of other essential supplies and materials. This will require advance planning. ”
Recommended Practices for Cleaning and Decontamination of Avian Influenza: Johnson Diversey Pandemic Planning
Excerpt:“We make a number of EPA-registered germicides that are known to readily inactivate viruses, including viruses with physical and biochemical properties similar to the SARS virus and the specific virus A(H5N1) causing the present outbreak of avian flu ”
Virucidal Efficacy of a Disinfectant for Use on Inanimate Environmental Surfaces (333 KB): ATS Labs
WHO - Fact Sheet (85 KB): World Health Organization
Excerpt:“Avian influenza viruses do not normally infect species other than birds and pigs. The first documented infection of humans with an avian influenza virus occurred in Hong Kong in 1997, when the H5N1 strain caused severe respiratory disease in 18 humans, of whom 6 died. The infection of humans coincided with an epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza, caused by the same strain, in Hong Kong’s poultry population. ”