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Clinical review: Update of avian influenza A infections in humans

Christian Sandrock1* and Terra Kelly2

Author Affiliations

1 School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA

2 School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA

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Critical Care 2007, 11:209 doi:10.1186/cc5675

Published: 22 March 2007

Abstract

Influenza A viruses have a wide host range for infection, from wild waterfowl to poultry to humans. Recently, the cross-species transmission of avian influenza A, particularly subtype H5N1, has highlighted the importance of the non-human subtypes and their incidence in the human population has increased over the past decade. During cross-species transmission, human disease can range from the asymptomatic to mild conjunctivitis to fulminant pneumonia and death. With these cases, however, the risk for genetic change and development of a novel virus increases, heightening the need for public health and hospital measures. This review discusses the epidemiology, host range, human disease, outcome, treatment, and prevention of cross-transmission of avian influenza A into humans.