What causes Bird Flu?

Correct option is A

​The correct answer is (a) H5N1 virus

Explanation:

Bird Flu, also known as Avian Influenza, is caused by the H5N1 virus, which belongs to the Influenza A virus subtype. It primarily affects birds, but in rare cases, it can spread to humans through direct contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces.

• The H5N1 strain is highly contagious among birds and has a high mortality rate in humans when transmitted.
• Symptoms in humans include fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, pneumonia or organ failure.
• The virus does not spread easily between humans, but scientists monitor it closely due to its potential to mutate and cause a pandemic.

Information Booster:

Common Strains of Bird Flu:

1. H5N1 – The most dangerous strain for humans.
2. H7N9 – Another strain with recorded human infections.
3. H5N8 – Highly contagious among birds but rarely infects humans.

Modes of Transmission:

• Direct contact with infected birds (domestic poultry like chickens, ducks, turkeys).
• Consumption of undercooked poultry products.
• Contact with contaminated surfaces (bird droppings, cages, water sources).

Additional Knowledge:

• Anopheles mosquito spreads Malaria.
• Tsetse fly transmits Sleeping Sickness (Trypanosomiasis).
• HPV virus causes Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections, linked to cervical cancer, not Bird Flu.