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Overview
The New York Times  , NewScientist.com , and other news services have reported on the recent outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) among poultry in western Turkey. The avian-influenza virus is the same deadly strain that was isolated in August 2005 from poultry in Siberia. Other illnesses have been found among birds in Romania and Iran, but have not been confirmed as the H5N1 strain. There have been no reports of bird-flu transmission to humans in any of these instances.
These reports of avian influenza extending beyond Asia are believed to be due to seasonal bird migration. The avian-influenza virus is highly pathogenic for birds and a potential source of disease transmission to humans. Scientists are closely monitoring the progression of avian influenza due to concerns that the virus could recombine to a form that is more transmissible to humans, creating the conditions for a possible pandemic.
Avian influenza is caused by type A strains of H5N1, an influenza virus that primarily infects birds. For most individuals, the risks of avian influenza are generally low because the viruses occur mainly among birds and typically do not lead to disease in humans. Since 1997, rare cases of bird-to-human H5N1 transmission have been linked to handling infected poultry and from surfaces contaminated with poultry feces, but the H5N1 bird-flu strain is not easily spread from human to human. Since 1997, rare cases of bird-to-human H5N1 transmission have been linked to handling infected poultry and from surfaces contaminated with poultry feces. Only limited, nonsustained human-to-human transmission of H5N1 has been reported to date.
Dentists can obtain additional information on avian influenza from ADA.org , appropriate public health authorities such as the CDC , and local or state health departments (for the latest epidemiological information for their community). The ADA will continue to monitor the situation and will disseminate appropriate information as it becomes available.
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A–Z Topic: Avian Influenza
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Science in the News is a service by the American Dental Association (ADA) to present current information about science topics in the news. The ADA is a professional association of dentists committed to the public's oral health, ethics, science and professional advancement; leading a unified profession through initiatives in advocacy, education, research and the development of standards. As a science-based organization, the ADA's evaluation of the scientific evidence may change as more information becomes available. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Page Posted October 2005
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