New Delhi, 14 February (IANS). The H5N1 bird flu is quietly spread from animals to some humans, especially to those who take care of animals. According to a report by the US Health Agency Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the actual number of bird flu cases may be higher.
The study found that Veterinary doctors had no symptoms, so they did not get treatment. Conversely, symptoms appeared in the laborers associated with poultry farming and got treatment. The US is already struggling with bird flu and 68 cases of this infection were reported last year.
According to Dr. Gregory Gray, a specialist at the University of Texas, the study suggests that the actual cases of bird flu may be much higher than government figures. He says that some people may be vulnerable to this virus due to their work, but they do not have any symptoms of the disease, so they do not go to the doctor.
Researchers reported that it is difficult to fully understand the spread of bird flu based on the data of medical centers only.
For this study, scientists performed blood tests of 150 veterinarians from 46 states of America. None of these had red eyes or other common symptoms, but investigation found that 2 to 3 percent of veterinarians had antibodies against the H5N1 virus in the body. Earlier studies have also indicated that some dairy farms laborers had symptoms of bird flu, but they were not investigated correctly.
Since these studies were conducted on a small level, it is difficult to estimate the correct number of people affected by bird flu. But experts believe that these numbers can be up to hundreds or thousands.
Gray said that there is nothing to worry about at the moment, but if this virus changes or any new mutation comes in it, then it can spread a serious disease and spread rapidly. According to Jacqueline Knowtting, researcher at Ohio State University, it is necessary to monitor it.
-IANS
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