Bird Flu Prevention
 Prevention in Asian
Countries Where Avian Flu Cases Have Been Reported
So far, the most severe human cases of the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu
have occurred in the Asian countries of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand
and Cambodia. Currently, the World Health Organization is not advising against
travel to any of these affected countries, however, should you be
planning a trip to one of these areas you would be well advised to
take some precautionary steps in order to minimize any risk of you
contracting the bird flu virus.
- Avoid visiting live wild bird or animal markets. These are common
in Asia and, combined with a sometimes humid climate, can provide the
ideal conditions for the breeding and spreading of animal borne
viruses.
- Avoid markets selling poultry like chickens and ducks, whether
dead or alive.
Again, these markets are a possible breeding ground for viruses,
more so since hygiene standards can often be very low.
In some cases, such markets can be considered very high risk
areas as it has been known for unscrupulous poultry farmers to
show a complete disregard for health issues and sell off birds
that may be showing signs of sickness in order to avoid a large
financial loss if their whole flock is affected and subsequently
dies. Coming into contact with bird faeces or feathers may place you at an
increased risk of infection and should be avoided.
- Ensure that food ordered in restaurants is cooked thoroughly.
Avoid eating partially cooked eggs or food that may have been
prepared using raw eggs. The virus may be present both on the
inside and outside of eggs. Do not eat anywhere that hygiene appears to be of a low
standard or where live animals are slaughtered just prior to
being cooked. If you are in a place or town that you are unfamiliar with, try
to make contact with expatriates in the
area for they will usually know which restaurants pay particular
attention to hygiene.
- Avoid areas where a large number of domestic chickens are kept
especially if they are not caged or penned. In both rural and
suburban areas many Asian families keep chickens, the birds are
most often left free to roam at will and this means that their
droppings may be left in places that humans frequently come into
contact with.
Prevention in Countries
or Areas Where No Outbreaks Have Been Reported
Governments, health officials and scientists seem to be in
agreement that a global outbreak of a new strain of avian flu is
imminent. Similar predictions have been made in the past but
fortunately major disease outbreaks were either averted or simply
didn't materialize. We would neither like to irrevocably agree nor
disagree with any such predictions, however we
do think it a prudent move to at least make some basic preparations
as well as adopt some simple habits in order to protect yourself in the case that an
outbreak or pandemic should
occur.
- Observe basic hygiene. Frequently wash your hands and try to
avoid touching your face especially when you are out and about
and likely to come into contact with surfaces that could be
contaminated with microscopic virus spores, such as escalator
rails, door handles, general goods in stores, etc.
- Try and avoid contact with anyone that is showing signs of the
flu. They may not have the bird flu, but why take more chances
than necessary.
- Consider buying a supply of face masks. You can be sure if an
outbreak is announced that they will be in short supply.
- Stock up with sterilizing agents, such as disinfectant. The
time may come when you need to wash down all the surfaces in
your home if you feel that you or your family are suddenly at a
heightened risk of spreading or catching the virus.
- Consider keeping a stock of flu antiviral drugs, such as
Tamiflu. Although largely unproven to date, it is thought that
such drugs will be able to combat any new strains of the bird
flu, however, it has been said that for them to be effective
they will need to be taken the moment that symptoms are noticed.
- Keep yourself well informed of the current flu situation by following
the news or by signing up for news alerts that are issued by,
for example, Google or CNN.
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