How to Report a Case of Bird Flu

The bird flu, or avian influenza, is of growing concern to disease control centers the world over due to fears that the virus may grow resistant to treatment and mutate to pass more easily between humans. If you have been diagnosed with the bird flu, or if you find suspicious dead birds, you should report it to authorities who can use the information to understand the disease better. Read on to learn how to report a case of bird flu.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Physician

1. Understand that while your doctor may have strong reason to suspect that you have contracted the bird flu, the quick, reliable test he will use screens only for the presence of influenza viruses. Your doctor is unable to distinguish between types of flu based on the results of the in-office tests he will use if you report symptoms of a case of the bird flu.
2. Ask your doctor to send your test results to a state lab or disease control center for analysis. It is only through laboratory testing that a definitive diagnosis of avian influenza can be reached. In the meantime, treat your symptoms as a case of the bird flu by taking anti-viral medications prescribed by your physician.
3. Have the lab confirm that you did, in fact, contract a case of avian influenza. Make sure you make an accurate note of the strain of the virus you contracted. The three known types are technically called "avian influenza A H5," "H7" and "H9." Each of these three types have nine possible sub-types, classified by a numeral following the letter "N." Therefore, you may be diagnosed with anywhere from type H5N1 through H5N9 avian flu. The same holds true for types H7 and H9.
4. Contact your local branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See the Resources section below for a link. Report your case by informing the center of where and when you contracted the avian flu virus, what type of strain you were diagnosed with, what symptoms you showed and how you treated them.
5. Be prepared to provide the name of your doctor in case the center has any follow-up questions to ask. Similarly, you should know the name and location of the laboratory that confirmed your diagnosis.
6. Call your local Humane Society if you come across dead birds with suspicious frequency in a particular area. They can alert the proper authorities if they have any reason to perform testing to see if the dead birds were carrying the avian influenza virus.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid physical contact with dead birds or bird excrement. Both can transmit the avian influenza virus to humans.