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Influenza - Novel

What is Novel Influenza (Flu)?

A new (novel) flu virus is one that causes human infection but is different from the seasonal flu viruses that spread among people each year. People usually do not have immunity to novel flu viruses and a vaccine may not be quickly available.

Novel flu viruses usually come from animal flu viruses. Animal flu viruses do not normally infect people, but in rare cases, especially when people have close contact with animals, infections occur.

Novel flu viruses are concerning because they could impact public health if they change to spread easily from person to person. This could cause a pandemic.

There are two types of novel flu viruses that are most concerning to public health officials -- avian flu and swine flu viruses.

Symptoms of Novel Flu in People

Symptoms of novel flu in people include:

  • Cough
  • Headache
  • Eye redness or irritation
  • Sore throat
  • Fever or Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Muscle or body aches

Other symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, rash, and sneezing.

What to Do If You Experience Symptoms

If You Think You Have Avian or Swine Flu

Contact your healthcare provider if:

  • You have any of the symptoms above, AND
  • You have recent contact with sick or infected animals, or contact with unpasteurized (raw) milk

Make sure to mention any recent exposure to sick or infected animals or raw milk. The only way to tell if you have avian or swine influenza is by taking a flu test. Your healthcare provider can test you for flu.

There is treatment available for novel flu. U.S. CDC recommends that any person with avian or swine flu start antiviral treatment as soon as possible. Your healthcare provider can prescribe this for you.

If You Have A Known Exposure To Infected Animals or Contaminated Animal Products

If you become sick within 10 days of your last exposure to infected animals or contaminated animal products (like raw milk), isolate at home away from other household members. Do not go to work or school until you get a flu test to prove you do not have an avian or swine flu virus and you recover from your illness. Report your symptoms, as well as your recent exposure to infected or sick animals, to a healthcare provider. Follow all instructions from Maine CDC.

Your household members should monitor their health for 10 days from their last exposure to you. If they experience any symptoms during this time, especially respiratory symptoms, report symptoms to a healthcare provider.

Avian flu monitoring resources:

Maine CDC Pandemic Influenza Operations Plan (PIOP)

What is the PIOP?

Maine CDC's Pandemic Influenza Operations Plan outlines strategies to reduce pandemic influenza-related morbidity and mortality, as well as to reduce anticipated social and economic disruption. It is based on the probability of the occurrence of a pandemic influenza strain with a higher severity index rate, such as H5H1, rather than a lower severity index like H1N1 in 2009.

Pandemic Influenza Operations Plan:

What is Avian Flu

Avian influenza (flu) refers to a respiratory disease caused by infection with flu viruses that are typically found in birds. Avian flu viruses normally live in wild water birds, like ducks and geese, around the world. These viruses can spread to domestic birds, like chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens, and turkey. They can also spread to some other wild and domestic animals, like seals, foxes, cats, and cattle.

Currently, the type of avian flu virus spreading in birds and cattle in the United States is H5N1.

Avian flu viruses do not normally make humans sick but human infections with avian flu viruses have occurred. People who have regular contact with poultry, cattle, or wild birds are most at risk.

How Does Avian Flue Spread to People?

Humans can become infected with avian flu viruses, but this is very rare. The risk of infection is highest for people who work with infected wild or domestic animals or unpasteurized (raw) milk.

Infected birds have avian flu virus in their saliva, mucous, and feces. People and animals can become infected by having contact with virus from infected birds or other animals. People can get avian influenza by:

  • Touching bedding, feed, or water contaminated with waste from infected animals, then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Breathing in the virus in contaminated respiratory droplets or dust.
  • Working with or drinking raw milk from infected animals.

The spread of avian flu virus from one infected person to another is very rare. When it happens, it usually only spreads to a few people. However, since avian flu can cause severe symptoms in some people, monitoring for human infection and preventing the spread of avian flu is very important.

How to Prevent Avian Flu

Avoid sources of exposure:

  • Generally, avoid direct contact with wild birds. Observe them only from a distance. Wild birds can be infected with avian flu even if they do not look sick.
  • Avoid unprotected contact with domestic animals, especially poultry, that look sick or have died.
  • Do not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with saliva, mucous, or feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals.
  • Do not visit the flocks of family, friends, or neighbors, especially if any of their or your birds are sick.
  • Wash your hands after handling raw chicken, turkey, other poultry, or eggs.
  • Do not cross contaminate food. Keep raw poultry and eggs away from ready to eat and uncooked foods.
  • Fully cook chicken, turkey, and other poultry to 165°F.
  • Avoid raw dairy products. Consume pasteurized dairy products instead.

If you are an Avian Flu Outbreak Responder:

  • Use protective equipment, including gloves, a medical facemask, and eye protection. Throw away your gloves and facemask after use.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water after touching birds.
  • Change your clothes before having contact with healthy domestic poultry and after handling wild birds.
  • Monitor yourself for symptoms and follow all instructions from Maine CDC.

If you work with domestic or wild animals:

For poultry owners and agricultural producers:
For dairy cattle owners and dairy workers:

If you are a hunter:

  • Dress game birds in the field whenever possible.
  • Wear gloves when dressing birds and wash your hands with soap and water afterwards.
  • Follow USDA's Guidance for Hunters (PDF).

What is Swine Flu

Swine influenza, or swine flu, is a respiratory disease caused by a flu virus that regularly causes outbreaks in pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect people. In some rare cases, people can get infected with a swine influenza virus, usually after close contact with pigs.

Pigs can also get infected with avian and human flu viruses. When flu viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can swap genes and create new flu viruses that are a mix of swine, human, and/or avian flu. Sometimes, this means that the virus can infect people more easily.

How Does Swine Flu Spread to People?

Humans can become infected with swine flu viruses, but this is very rare. The risk of infection is highest for people who work with pigs.

People and animals can become infected by having direct contact with infected pigs or contact with surfaces contaminated with virus. People can get swine flu by:

  • Touching bedding, feed, or water contaminated with waste from infected animals, then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Breathing in the virus in contaminated respiratory droplets or dust.

The spread of swine flu virus from one infected person to another is very rare. When it happens, it usually only spreads to a few people. However, since swine flu can cause severe symptoms in some people, monitoring for human infection and preventing the spread of swine flu is very important.

How to Prevent Swine Flu

Avoid sources of exposure:

  • Never eat, drink, or put things in your mouth in animal areas.
  • Avoid taking toys, pacifiers, cups, baby bottles, strollers, or similar items into areas with pigs.
  • Do not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with saliva, mucous, or feces from pigs.
  • Minimize contact with pigs in pig barns or show arenas.
  • Where possible, avoid direct contact with pigs that are known or suspected to be sick. Wear personal protective equipment (protective clothing, gloves, well-fitting mask) if you come into contact with a pig that might be ill.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before and after exposure to pigs inside or outside a swine barn. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

If you work with pigs:

For pig owners and agricultural producers:

More Information about Flu in Animals