1. Avoid Contact With Infected Birds
If you're a poultry farmer, or if you're in regular contact with wild birds or live poultry, you must watch out for suspicious cases of bird sickness or death. You can play a key role in controlling an outbreak of avian influenza if you know what to look for and prevent human contact with birds that might be sick.
Assume that bird flu is to blame if large quantities of birds become ill or die. Do not handle these birds or their eggs, and alert everyone else in the area to do the same. Many wild birds carry avian influenza yet appear perfectly healthy, so avoid contact with them and make sure you keep your domesticated poultry away from them, too.
If you don't own birds, there are things you can do to prevent an outbreak. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after any contact with raw poultry and eggs. Don't eat eggs unless the whites and yolks are firm. Clean any cutting boards and utensils with a disinfectant soap and hot water so that you don't taint yourself or other foods. Cook poultry at a temperature of at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Alert the Authorities
Call your local animal control or disease prevention authorities if you suspect a bird flu outbreak. The authorities will perform tests on any deceased birds and check the environment for signs of the disease. They will release public warnings and work with local authorities to keep the contagion contained. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website at CDC.gov to get contact information.
3. Quarantine or Exterminate Contaminated Bird Populations
You may lose your entire inventory of poultry birds if you have an avian influenza outbreak on your farm. The authorities usually eliminate any animal that may be infected. In some cases, the birds or affected human beings may be put into quarantine, as described in Section 361(b) of the Public Health Service Act, which calls for victims of emergent viruses to submit to involuntary quarantine.
Bird-to-person contact poses the greatest risk for human beings, not human-to-human contact. If you or someone you know contracts a case of the bird flu, take the same precautions you would take for a regular case of the flu to avoid picking up or passing on the disease.
