Bird flu (avian influenza)

Diagnosis

To diagnose bird flu, a healthcare professional takes a sample of fluid from your nose and throat to test for evidence of bird flu infection. They also may take a sample of fluid from your eye if you have pink eye.

If you could have been exposed to bird flu through work, travel or your hobbies and you have symptoms of illness, see your healthcare professional right away.

Treatment

Medicines that stop the flu virus from spreading in the body, called antivirals, work to treat bird flu. These medicines work best when started as soon as you have symptoms. For this reason, your healthcare professional may prescribe a medicine for you before your flu lab test results comes back.

These medicines can include oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza) or peramivir (Rapivab).

Oseltamivir is taken by mouth. Zanamivir is inhaled using a device similar to an asthma inhaler. Peramivir is given through a needle in a vein.

If you have bird flu, stay in an area away from other people, including those you live with if possible. That will help prevent spreading the illness.

It's important to avoid people if you're waiting for lab results. If you do have bird flu, healthcare professionals may suggest testing for people who had close contact with you when you had symptoms. They may give antiviral medicine to people who were exposed to bird flu and are at high risk of serious illness.