Bird Flu and Pregnancy

Bird flu (avian flu) is an infection caused by viruses that naturally occur in birds. Since 1997, there have been several cases of bird flu in people, mostly in Asia. A virus called H5N1 has caused these cases.

What Is the Risk to Americans?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk to Americans from the current bird flu epidemic is low. No one in the United States has been infected.

Public health officials are taking precautions: They are:

• Monitoring travelers from countries that have had cases
• Tracking bird flu cases around the world
• Watching to see if the H5N1 virus changes in a way that would make it more dangerous for humans

How Do People Get the Bird Flu?
People who have bird flu probably become sick by handling infected birds. They may also get the virus by touching infected surfaces (such as the cages where birds live).

Right now the bird flu has only rarely been passed from person to person. In these few cases, the illness has not spread beyond one person. But scientists are concerned that the virus could change, making it easier to spread from person to person. They are monitoring cases of bird flu carefully.

Symptoms
Symptoms of bird flu are similar to those for other types of flu. They include fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches. Other symptoms are eye infections, pneumonia and life-threatening lung disease.

Prevention
No vaccine to prevent H5N1 infection in humans is available, but scientists are working to develop one. The medication Tamiflu (oseltamivir) might provide some protection against bird flu. A prescription is needed to get Tamiflu. Scientists need to do more research about the effectiveness of this drug against bird flu.

There have been no good studies of pregnant and breastfeeding women using Tamiflu. These women should use the medication only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the baby. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about Tamiflu.

What You Can Do
If you are pregnant:

• Focus on keeping yourself healthy. Visit Keeping Healthy and Things to Avoid on this Web site for suggestions. Staying healthy can help you avoid many diseases.
• Although the media reports about this disease can be frightening, try not to worry about getting bird flu. At this time, the risk of getting bird flu is low for people in the United States.
• If you are pregnant or will be pregnant during the flu season, get a flu shot. This will help protect you and your baby against the more common flu virus that makes people sick during the fall and winter. To learn more about recommended vaccinations during pregnancy, click here.
• If you have a fever, cough, sore throat, or muscle aches, call your health care provider.
• For more information, visit the Web site of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  
  December 2005