OSH Answers Fact Sheets

What is avian influenza? Influenza, commonly called "the flu", is a contagious disease caused by viruses that mainly infect the respiratory tract, including the nose, throat, and lungs. Many varieties of influenza viruses exist. Some viruses infect only humans, others only birds, pigs or dogs. Some can infect more than one animal (called "cross-species"). In birds, this disease is called avian influenza or the "bird flu". Avian influenza has been around for over 100 years. It was first reported...

What is West Nile virus? West Nile virus is a microorganism belonging to the Flavivirus genus and is carried by infected mosquitos. West Nile virus has been commonly found in humans, birds and other animals in Africa, Eastern Europe, West Asia and the Middle East. The virus first reported in Canada in 2002. How is West Nile virus transmitted? West Nile virus is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected...

What is mpox? Mpox is a disease caused by a virus in the family Poxviridae. It is closely related to the smallpox virus, which was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1980. In November 2022, the World Health Organization began using ‘mpox’ as the preferred term for monkeypox disease. Health Canada states that mpox is usually a mild illness and that most people recover on their own after a few weeks. In rare cases, death may occur.  What are the symptoms of...

What is rabies and what causes it? Rabies is an infectious disease that spreads from animals to humans. The rabies virus causes the disease by infecting nerves in animals and people. The rabies virus travels to the brain (through nerves inside the brain), the virus reproduces, and then it travels back through the nerves to most parts of the body. Eventually, the virus reaches the salivary glands where it is released into the saliva in the mouth. By this time, the disease has usually damaged...