How do you prevent the spread of avian influenza?

• Avoid contact with chickens, ducks or other poultry unless absolutely necessary. This is the best way to prevent infection with the bird flu virus.
• Teach your children the following basic guidelines:
  • Avoid contact with any birds, their feathers, faeces and other waste.
  • Do not keep birds as pets.
  • Wash hands with soap and water after any contact.
  • Don’t sleep near poultry.
• Do not prepare poultry from affected areas as food for your family or animals. The slaughter and preparation of such birds for food is dangerous.
• If you unintentionally come into contact with poultry in an affected area, such as touching the bird’s body, touching its faeces or other animal dirt, or walking on soil contaminated with poultry faeces:
  • wash your hands well with soap and water after each contact;
  • remove your shoes outside the house and clean them of all dirt; and
  • check your temperature for 7 days at least once daily. If you develop a high temperature (>38°C), visit a doctor or the nearest health care facility immediately (see the attached list of bird flu referral hospitals in Indonesia).

Do you live in a bird flu affected area?

• Don’t buy sick, dying or dead chicken for preparing food for humans and/or other animals.
• Avoid buying live poultry to minimize contact with blood, dust, faeces and other animal dirt.

Do you visit farms or markets?

• Avoid entering farms or wet markets where live birds/poultry are kept.
• After walking around areas that may be contaminated (such as farms, markets or backyards with poultry), clean your shoes as carefully as possible with soap and water.
• When cleaning shoes, make sure that you do not flick any particles into your face or on your clothes. Wear a plastic bag over your hands and cover your mouth/nose with a cloth.

Do you keep poultry/birds at home?

• Watch out for any animal deaths
• When burying dead birds or their faeces, avoid generating dust. Spraying or sprinkle water to dampen the area first. Bury bird carcass and faeces at a depth of at least 1 metre.
• When the dead birds and their faeces have been properly disposed, clean all areas very well with detergent and water. Influenza viruses are relatively susceptible to a variety of detergents and disinfectants.

Do you have flu-like symptoms (eg fatigue, fever, cough, sore throat)?

WHO believes it is very important to prevent human influenza from spreading in areas affected by bird flu. Where the avian influenza viruses and human influenza viruses come in contact with each other, there is a risk that genetic material will be exchanged and a new virus could emerge.

If you have flu-like symptoms:

• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Use a tissue and throw it away once used. Teach children to do this as well.
• Always wash your hands with soap and water after any contact with secretions from nose or mouth as these can carry a virus.
• Children are especially prone to touching their face, eyes and mouth with unwashed hands. Teach children the importance of hand washing after coughing, sneezing and touching dirty items.
• If you go to the doctor, wear a surgical mask or cover your nose and mouth with a cloth.

Is it safe to eat poultry products?

• Chicken prepared hygienically and cooked thoroughly, i.e. no pink juices should be observed, can be considered safe to eat. However, remember, if the bird has a transmittable disease, such as bird flu, the person preparing the food is at risk of becoming infected and the environment may become contaminated.
• Be careful with duck meat. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 10 seconds after handling. Thoroughly clean the chopping board and utensils used to handle the meat.
• Eggs may carry the bird-flu virus inside or on their shells. Care must be taken in handling raw eggs and shells. Wash shells in soapy water and wash hands afterwards. Eggs, cooked thoroughly (hard boiled, 5 minutes, 70oC) will not infect the consumer with bird flu.
• In general, all food should be thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 70°C or above.

Referral Hospitals for Avian Influenza