Avian Flu

The avian flu is a kind of flu that affects birds in general. Then you may ask why we as human beings should take precautions. The flu is able to transmit from birds to human beings and this is a dangerous thing. As of date there is no transmission of the bird flu from humans to humans. If such a day is to come, then god forbid, we are in for a disaster in the terms of a pandemic, so one must take few steps to prevent oneself from being effected by the avian flu.

With this I feel you should know a bit more about what avian flu / bird flu is.

More about Avian/Bird Flu

Avian flu leads to a respiratory disease found in birds. This is caused by the virus strain the H5N1. There are a number of virus strains that are responsible for flu; the most dangerous among them being the H5N1 strain. The affected birds fall prey to the flu and they die in a matter of a few days. Their saliva and droppings transmit the flu from one bird to another. Water ducks are considered the main transmitter of the virus and carrier of the virus. The infected ducks pollute whole body of water like the lake of stream that they pad in. The virus is found in the dead body of the bird. Any man or animal who consumes this flesh also get affected by the deadly virus. But the virus is not able to live in temperatures above 30 degree centigrade. When exposed to temperatures above 70 degree centigrade for more than a second the virus is no more.

There are different kinds of strains found in this flu as I have told you in the preceding paragraph. There are sixteen different avian flu viruses, which are classified as subtypes of the virus. The one I will be discussing about is the H5N1 type of virus. The H5N1 virus is considered to be highly pathogenic. Highly pathogenic means they can cause severe diseases in human beings and are considered to be highly infectious in nature. This strain of virus can be transmitted from the birds to the human beings either directly of by a carrier animal like pigs or cats.

Now that you have an idea as to what is the avian flu, I will be discussing the steps to be taken to prevent yourself from the infection.

Steps to prevent you from Infection

First and foremost avoid. In case there is a known case of influenza virus attack in a particular region the basics is to avoid contact with persons from that region. This is in itself a big tool. Take your annual flu shot. This reduces the chances of you being infected by the flu. Avoid contact with infected poultry and farm products. Handle the droppings of the infected birds with proper care and attention, so as not to come in contact directly with the droppings. Make use of masks, gloves and protective clothing in case of a flu outbreak. The recommended mask for handling bird flu infection is the N 95 type mask. This mask is recommended by the Center for diseases control. It passes all the stringent quality tests prescribed by this institution, which includes the porosity test and the pressure test.

When choosing the mask, make sure it fits smugly over your face and over the bridge of your nose. We would not want you getting infected even after wearing a mask. Other things that are to be worn with the mask are gloves, boots and full-sleeved coveralls. The mask should not be used for more than six hours continuously. Discard the mask and use a new mask if you have to work in an infected area for more than six hours. When you change your mask, wash your hands with a mild disinfectant follow it up with soap and water. For a disinfectant you may make use of rubbing alcohol. Now you may don your new mask.

To clear your house of the virus, clean your house with a good vacuum cleaner, paying attention to the corners and all places where dust is likely to collect. Then use bleach and rubbing alcohol for giving your house a rubbing down. Use alcohol on doorknobs and other places where one is likely to use as a hold for the hand.

In case you have livestock on your farm, follow the following precautions:

1. Do not let all the farm animals to water from a single water hole.

2. Keep animals apart, like do not let your poultry stray in your pigsty.

3. Observe your livestock for any change in behavioral patterns. Contact a good vet when you notice any abnormality.

4. Do not let all your animals feed from the same bowl.

5. Do not store your chicken pens one over the other.

Follow the precautions and you will be able to prevent yourself from the flu.