Avian flu

Most of us will have seen this subject in the news recently.

Headlines can distort the facts and make us all more worried than we need to be, but there is no question that avian flu is a serious disease. Once caught, symptoms develop rapidly and can become life threatening. This said, fewer than 200 cases worldwide have been confirmed in humans in the last three years. While the virus can jump from birds to humans, this only happens through very close contact with sick birds and, as yet, the virus has not found a way to spread from human to human.

At the present time, there is no cure for avian flu. This does not mean that anyone catching the disease is doomed, however, and, of the few people who have contracted the disease, many have recovered thanks to early detection, good hospital care and some antiviral drugs that appear to assist the body's own immune system.

The chances of anyone insured by a UK-based medical insurance plan needing to claim for avian flu treatment is remote, but some expatriate employees may want reassurance. A standard international medical plan with comprehensive benefits should cover most costs of treatment, although not necessarily outpatient drugs. We are not aware of any insurer that has made specific exclusions for avian flu.

Current flu jabs are not effective against avian flu, but if a specific jab is developed then, as with all other preventative procedures, it is unlikely to be covered by insurers.

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