Symptoms associated with bird flu vary. Respiratory disease can occur, but not all cases of bird flu cause respiratory symptoms. When looking at a large group of infected patients, scientists found that about one-third had respiratory and other symptoms. They were patients with occupational exposure to the virus (i.e., they handled animals). The virus attacking the respiratory system causes them to experience shortness of breath.
The dyspnea issues range from mild to severe, but these cases are typically mild. One method to assess exertional dyspnea is noting how patients breathe. People are unable to do fast or deep breathing. Several diseases may have shortness of breath in their clinical presentation. These must be kept in the differential. A fever with dyspnea will suggest to doctors that it is infectious. In contrast, if there is also wheezing with the dyspnoea, then it may be a bacterial infection and not avian flu.
