Symptoms
The typical symptoms of avian influenza show themselves in different ways in each of the affected patients, depending on the immune situation. Since the incubation period of avian flu (the time between infection and outbreak of the disease) is approximately 14 days, the first symptoms can be expected after this period. The symptoms of avian flu are similar to the symptoms of common influenza.
Most of the affected patients develop extremely high fever already in the first days of the illness. Body core temperatures of 40 to 41 degrees Celsius are not uncommon in avian flu patients. In addition, the causative viral pathogens affect the respiratory tract.
For this reason, affected patients often suffer from pronounced coughing and shortness of breath. The occurrence of sore throats is also one of the most common symptoms of bird flu. In many of the known cases, a pronounced effect on the gastrointestinal tract has also been observed.
The majority of those affected developed stomach problems during the course of the disease. In addition, many avian flu patients suffer from diarrhoea and/or vomiting. If the body’s immune system is limited, bird flu can take a high-risk course.
In severe cases, inflammatory processes in the lungs (pneumonia), severe stomach problems, inflammation of the intestines and an increase in liver values may occur. Occasionally the affected patients develop kidney weakness (renal insufficiency), which in the worst case can lead to complete renal failure. Avian flu is fatal in about 50 percent of cases. The ultimate cause of death of those affected is the development of lung failure.Pre-loaded and/or immunocompromised patients often die of a so-called multi-organ failure in which several organs are no longer able to perform their normal functions.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of avian influenza involves several steps. However, in all these steps it must be remembered that as soon as the presence of the disease is suspected, special precautions must be taken. The first step in the diagnosis of avian flu is an extensive doctor-patient consultation (anamnesis).
During this conversation, the symptoms present should be described in as much detail as possible. In addition, possible stays abroad and previous illnesses should be discussed. Direct contact with animals and/or infected persons also plays a decisive role in the suspicion of an avian flu infection.
The most important questions to be dealt with during the anamnesis interview are If the suspicion is founded during this orienting doctor-patient conversation, further diagnostic measures must be initiated urgently. In the case of avian flu, it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis by means of direct pathogen detection. In everyday clinical practice, reliable test procedures are available that can detect the causative avian flu virus within a few hours.
Similar to a common flu infection, the diagnosis of avian flu can also be made by a throat or nose swab. In addition, there are usually sufficient pathogens in the coughed up bronchial secretion to successfully detect the disease. This can also be done by a quick test.
If the diagnosis is confirmed, a blood sample should also be taken and then subjected to laboratory chemical analysis. In this way, initial impairments of various organ systems (e.g. the liver) can be detected. The physical examination of the cardiovascular system and the abdominal cavity should also not be neglected in affected patients.
- Has the patient been abroad within the last months?
- Has the patient touched wild birds?
- Has the patient been in contact with raw poultry meat?
- What symptoms does the patient suffer from?
- Are there other people in the patient’s environment who are currently suffering from infections?
- When did the patient first show symptoms?
- Did these symptoms appear suddenly?
- Does the patient suffer from shortness of breath?
