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What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild birds. AI viruses have also been isolated, although less frequently, from mammalian species, including humans. This complex disease is caused by viruses divided into multiple subtypes (i.e. H5N1, H5N3, H5N8 etc.) whose genetic characteristics rapidly evolve. The disease occurs worldwide but different subtypes are more prevalent in certain regions than others.
The many strains of avian influenza viruses can generally be classified into two categories according to the severity of the disease in poultry:
- low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) that typically causes little or no clinical signs;
- high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) that can cause severe clinical signs and possible high mortality rates.
