Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a contagious disease caused by viruses. A bird flu virus subtype, H5N1 virus, is highly contagious and often deadly among birds. Outbreaks of H5N1 occurred among poultry in eight countries in Asia during late 2003 and early 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although bird flu viruses are highly species-specific, they have been documented to cross the species barrier to infect humans via different infecting pathways.
Direct Contact with Infected Poultry
Direct contact with infected birds, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their feces, is the main route of human infection, according to the World Health Organization. Most known human infections have been reported in the countryside where many households keep freely roaming poultry. Sometimes, these domestic birds enter homes or share outdoor areas with humans. Infected birds excrete the infectious virus and humans in contact with the infected droppings become exposed to the virus. This exposure is most likely to occur during slaughter, defeathering, butchering and preparation of poultry for cooking. According to the World Health Organization, H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat and it is safe to eat infected poultry as long as it is fully cooked. To be cautious, the CDC recommends washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw poultry and eggs, cleaning chopping boards and food surfaces with soap and hot water to avoid contaminating other foods, using a food thermometer to make sure the temperature is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking poultry and cooking eggs until whites and yolks are firm.
Handling Feather Products
The U.S. government has determined that handling feather products from countries with bird flu outbreaks poses risk to humans. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, no person may import any birds, whether dead or alive, or any products derived from birds, including hatching eggs, from these countries. Therefore, feathers from these countries must be processed to make them noninfectious.
Handling Pet Birds
Handling pet birds from countries with reported bird flu cases is risky. The CDC and USDA have banned the importation of birds from areas where H5N1 has been documented.
Human-to-Human Transmission
Very rare instances of limited human-to-human transmission of H5N1 viruses have occurred. Among these incidences, the virus never spread beyond a first generation of close contacts in the family. The World Health Organization also points out that because all family members are usually exposed to the same poultry flock, it is often impossible to determine if human-to-human transmission has occurred. Medical treatment may not always work because influenza viruses can mutate and become resistant to prescription drugs.
