BATON ROUGE — There have been a lot of recent reports about bird flu, raising a lot of questions about its impact on humans.

“Right now there is a low risk, because it is seen mainly seen in birds, but there's been rare cases, so we need to remain vigilant. there is no documented human-to-human transmission at this point, so it is in the community but still at a lower risk,” infectious disease doctor Lysette Cardona said.

While rare, bird flu is contracted when a person has close contact with an infected animal. Symptoms of the virus typically include fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose and nausea.

Patients may also get conjunctivitis, often referred to as "pink eye." Bird flu in humans can be deadly. The CDC says a person dies in nearly half of known cases. However, the virus is treatable when detected early.

"People that have immunocompromising conditions or are pregnant, the elderly, may have some type of chronic condition such as the heart, diabetes, and especially younger infants that have not developed their immunity, may be at risk for more severe illness with any type of influenza, including the bird flu,” Cardona said.

There is a test available for bird flu, which involves a throat or nose swab.

Since the virus is not common, you need to tell your doctor right away if you believe you were exposed.