Flue, also known as bird flu, is caused by a strain of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. These staphylococcus bacteria are commonly found in bird droppings, bird nests and bird houses.
They can easily infect humans, but most bird flue diseases do not have any known symptoms in humans. These strains of bacteria are a member of the group of viruses that are called the Streptococcus family.
There are approximately 100 different types of streptococcus strains and bird flue is one of them. The bird flue virus may cause extreme illness if not treated promptly, so it is imperative that you observe all the important symptoms of the bird flue.
You will notice several symptoms of bird flue fever in birds, including the usual fevers and symptoms associated with other diseases. Some of these symptoms include swollen lymph nodes or mastitis, diarrhoea and dehydration.
If you see these symptoms in your own birds, call your local avian clinic immediately and have them perform a bird flu test. Although the bird flue virus is usually not fatal to birds, it can still cause serious illness to humans.
If you have a pet bird at home and it shows any of these symptoms, make sure that you get it checked out right away. Bird flu can be fatal to humans, so it is best to prevent it from affecting your bird colony if at all possible.
Preventing bird flue from attacking your birds and getting yourself infected by the bird flu virus is as easy as regular washing with soap and water. Remember to disinfect bird cages and other bird accessories, such as food dishes.