1. Precautions to Take When Cooking
Even though cooking poultry kills the viruses that cause avian influenza, traces can linger on the utensils you used. Thoroughly sterilize everything that touched the uncooked poultry, including knives, counter tops, cutting boards and your hands. If you undercook your chicken, you risk contracting more than just salmonella. It's conceivable that you could catch the bird flu from an infected bird that didn't reach the minimum recommended internal temperature. Check that the bird's juices run clear, that there is no pink left in the meat and that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.
2. Get Vaccinated
You can get a vaccine to protect yourself from the bird flu, but it only offers limited protection. First approved in 2007 for use in the United States, the avian influenza vaccine can prevent acute infection from the H5N1 variant of the virus. Doctors are undecided as to the vaccine's effectiveness. Testing shows that it offers full protection to only about half the people who get it. The prevailing opinion among researchers is that the bird flu vaccine is most effective in preventing serious complications of bird flu, not the disease itself.
3. Travel Precautions
If you're heading to Southeast Asia, you've probably already heard the advisories about potential avian influenza outbreaks. Don't handle domesticated or wild birds or raw eggs of any kind, and watch what you touch if you visit open-air markets. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, and take extra caution if you're traveling with kids. Not only are they more likely to touch something that carries the bird flu virus, but they're also more prone than healthy adults to developing a serious case of avian influenza.
