Communication Messages: Avian Influenza: Various Sources

The following are communication messages related to the Avian Flu (Bird Flu) from various international and regional sources. They have been organised according to the following categories:

Preventive Messages, No Outbreak | Outbreak Areas

Poultry Industry | Veterinarians

Please note that these have been extracted from longer and more detailed documents. For more comprehensive information please see those documents; links are provided below.

This is not a comprehensive listing. Please send additions to this list to Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com

From European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC):

The level of risk for people who are not in one of the at risk groups is very, very low. The risk becomes almost non-existent if the following precautions are followed:

• If you come across any dead or sick birds, do not touch them.
• Ensure that poultry meat and eggs are thoroughly cooked.

It is highly unlikely that H5N1 can be passed on to humans by raw meat or eggs, but if you cook your food properly this will eliminate the risk entirely. It will also protect you from salmonella and other organisms that cause food poisoning.

Click here to download "H5N1 Avian influenza - ECDC Key Message" from the ECDC website as a PDF document.

From FAO:

1. Conventional cooking (temperatures at or above 70¡ÆC in all parts of a food item) will inactivate the H5N1 virus. Properly cooked poultry meat is therefore safe to consume.
2. The H5N1 virus, if present in poultry meat, is not killed by refrigeration or freezing.
3. Home slaughtering and preparation of sick or dead poultry for food is hazardous: this practice must be stopped.
4. Eggs can contain H5N1 virus both on the outside (shell) and the inside (whites and yolk). Eggs from areas with H5N1 outbreaks in poultry should not be consumed raw or partially cooked (runny yolk); uncooked eggs should not be used in foods that will not be cooked, baked or heat-treated in other ways.
5. There is no epidemiological evidence to indicate that people have been infected with the H5N1 virus following consumption of properly cooked poultry or eggs.
6. The greatest risk of exposure to the virus is through the handling and slaughter of live infected poultry. Good hygiene practices are essential during slaughter and post-slaughter handling to prevent exposure via raw poultry meat or cross contamination from poultry to other foods, food preparation surfaces or equipment.

See the "6" box on the right hand column on the
FAO's Animal Health, Avian Influenza web page - click here.

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Human Infection For Everyone

The avian flu virus can be transmitted through contact with poultry, and their droppings, feathers, intestines and blood.
It is very important to minimize contact with poultry and wild birds.

The greatest risk of infection is through the handling and slaughtering of live infected poultry.

Children are particularly vulnerable - keep them away from poultry and do not allow them to pick up feathers or eggs.

Report Sick or Dead Birds

• Report sick or dead animals to the relevant authorities (or local equivalent)

Avoid Contact with Sick or Dead Birds

• Do not eat sick or dead poultry
• Do not touch sick or dead birds unless wearing gloves
• Do not let children touch or play with sick or dead birds, or touch/pick up bird feathers
• Do not sell birds from flocks that have come from an affected area
• Do not move sick or dead birds out of an infected area
• Do not drink unboiled/untreated water from ponds/wells where birds (poultry or wild birds) may have left droppings
• Do not swim in water (such as lakes, rivers) used by wild birds

Ensure High Hygienic Standards (at Home and in Public)

• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
• Learn the signs of avian flu in humans: very difficult breathing, fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, eye infections
• If you suspect that someone has avian flu, try to take care of him/her but keep physical contact to a minimum
• Try not to sleep in the same room as a person you think may have avian flu
• If you suspect that someone has avian flu, call for a doctor, or take her/him to a doctor
• If you have any sign of avian flu, stay at home if possible and get someone to call a doctor
• If you come into contact with poultry in an infected area, wash your hands well
• If the authorities proclaim a state of alert, follow all official warnings and indications - as a precautionary measure, avoid crowded places and unnecessary human contact such as shaking hand

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Human Infection For Those Who Keep Poultry

The avian flu virus can be transmitted through contact with poultry, and their droppings, feathers, intestines and blood.

It is very important to minimize contact with poultry and wild birds.

The greatest risk of infection is through the handling and slaughtering of live infected poultry.

Avoid Continuous Close Contact with Poultry

• Do not keep poultry in your house

Take Special Care of Children and Pregnant Women

• Do not let children play with or near poultry - do not allow them to touch/pick up feathers
• Keep children and pregnant women away from poultry/birds and do not let them collect eggs

Report Sick or Dead Birds

• Report sudden death among your poultry immediately to the relevant authorities
• Report sick cases among your poultry to the relevant authorities
• Report other dead animals on your farm to the relevant authorities
• If your poultry die, place them in a plastic bag or other receptacle and inform the relevant authorities

Be Careful When Handling Sick or Dead Birds

• Avoid touching sick or dead animals with bare hands
• After placing dead animals in a plastic bag or other receptacle, wash your hands
• Regularly clean the areas where poultry are kept

What to Do With Sick or Dead Birds

• Report sick or dead birds immediately to the veterinary authorities (or local equivalent)
• Do not leave dead animals lying around
• Do not throw dead animals into rivers, lakes or other bodies of water such as ponds/wells
• If you have a plastic bag, place the carcass in the bag; if you do not, take the carcass away from the rest of the flock and out of reach of children and others
• Leave disposal of bird carcasses to the veterinary authorities (or local equivalent) and help only if they ask
• If there are no veterinary authorities (or local equivalent), seek help from your local community to dispose of carcasses
• Do not eat the carcass of a dead bird
• Do not sell the carcass of a dead bird

If You Must Dispose of Dead Birds Yourself

• Get rid of carcasses safely by burning them or burying them deeply enough that dogs, cats and other scavengers cannot reach them
• Burn or bury feathers and other waste away from your farmyard

Ensure High Hygienic Standards (at Home and in Public)

• After working with, touching or taking care of poultry, wash your hands thoroughly
• Clean small farm equipment daily
• Keep to a minimum the number of family members working with poultry
• When working on the farm or sweeping the yard, cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth/face mask
• After work, remove shoes outside the house and clean them thoroughly after removing any mud or dust

Take Care When Slaughtering Poultry/Game Birds



Avoid home slaughtering but if you must:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth/face mask
• Be very careful and keep contact with feathers, blood, intestines, etc. to a minimum
• Wash your hands thoroughly after slaughtering
• Clean the slaughtering place thoroughly

Using Manure

• Allow manure to decompose for several weeks before applying it on fields

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Human Infection For Hunters

Wild birds can carry the avian flu virus without showing any symptoms and before an epidemic is detected in the area.

If the virus is in an area, it is possible that all surrounding wild birds carry the virus.

The avian flu virus can be transmitted through contact with wild birds, and their droppings, feathers, intestines and blood.

Hunting dogs retrieve game in their mouths and are therefore very exposed to the virus carried by infected game birds.

Avoid or minimise the use of hunting dogs if the avian flu virus is in the area.

Take Care When Slaughtering Wild Birds

• Cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth/face mask
• Be very careful and keep contact with feathers, blood, intestines, etc. to a minimum
• Wash your hands thoroughly after slaughtering
• Clean all tools and the slaughtering place thoroughly

Avoid Contact Between Wild Birds and Poultry

• Do not mix hunted birds with domestic poultry at home

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Human Infection For Keepers of Sporting Birds

Birds are kept for sporting purposes in many countries - cock-fighting, falconry, pigeon racing, etc.

The avian flu virus can be transmitted through contact with poultry and other birds, and their droppings, feathers, intestines and blood.

It is very important to minimize contact with poultry and other birds used for sporting purposes.

Respect Hygience and Safety

• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling birds
• Cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth/face mask when cleaning areas where birds are kept
• Do not let children handle your birds

Take Care When Cleaning Fighting Cocks

• Cleaning a cock after a fight is very dangerous - minimize your contact with the cock's blood and secretions
• After a fight, never clean the beak of the cock by sucking
• Cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth/face mask when cleaning areas where birds have been fighting

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

From Hong Kong Government:

To prevent avian influenza in humans, we should avoid touching live poultry or their droppings, wash hands thoroughly immediately after contacting live poultry and cook poultry and eggs thoroughly before eating.

Click here to download "Health Risks and Prevention..." from the Hong Kong Government website as a PDF document.

From the United States Agency for International Development (USAID):

It is very difficult for humans to get avian flu, but if you have signs of a serious respiratory illness, get care.

• If you become sick with a high fever after contact with dead or sick birds, seek immediate treatment.
• If you suspect that someone has avian influenza, take them to a health care provider immediately.

Avoid close contact with birds.

• Do not touch dead or sick birds with bare hands; use gloves.
• If poultry have to be kept indoors (for example, during winter in cold climates), keep in a specific area away from where the family sleeps and eats.
• Do not let poultry into your house.
• If possible, do not let children collect eggs and keep them away from birds - including birds if they are not kept indoors all the time.
• Do not let children help with slaughtering or preparing poultry or wild birds.

Take precautions if you unintentionally come into contact with poultry or poultry feces in an affected area.

• Wash your hands well with soap and water (or ash if soap is not available) after each contact with wild birds or domestic poultry or bird feces.
• Remove your shoes outside the house and clean them of all dirt.
• If you develop a high temperature, visit a doctor or go to the nearest health care facility immediately.

Take precautions in preparing and consuming poultry meat and eggs.

• The greatest risk of exposure to avian influenza is through the slaughter and handling of infected poultry. Remember that not all infected birds show signs of illness, so be careful when slaughtering any poultry.
• Good hygiene practices are essential during slaughter and post-slaughter handling to prevent exposure via raw poultry meat or cross contamination from poultry to other foods, food preparation surfaces or equipment.
• Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other foods.
• After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife and counter tops with hot soapy water, and use bleach if available.
• Ensure that poultry meat and eggs are thoroughly cooked.
• Do not eat eggs or blood unless they are thoroughly cooked. Do not eat runny eggs or meat that is pink. To be safe, egg whites and yellow must be solid. Raw eggs should not be used in foods that will not be cooked.
• Eggs can contain avian influenza virus both on the outside (shell) and the inside (whites and yolk), so it is important to wash hands after handling eggs and to cook eggs thoroughly.
• The avian influenza virus is not killed by freezing or refrigeration, but cooking (temperatures at or above 70°C in all parts of a food item) will kill the avian influenza virus.

Practice overall good hygiene

• Wash hands with soap and water (or if soap is not available, with ash) before and after handling food.
• Use masks and gloves when handling poultry or other birds.
• If practical, change your clothing once you arrive at the workplace, especially if you have poultry in your backyard or come in contact with poultry on your way to work.

Take precautions if you are visiting farms or other areas where poultry are kept.

• When visiting a farm or entering a yard where poultry is kept, wash hands with soap and water (or ash if soap is not available) and after you leave.
• Brush and disinfect clothing, shoes/sandals, and the wheels of bikes/motorcycles/etc. after leaving the area, especially before going indoors.

Workers involved in culling operations should protect themselves.

• Because of the high risk of exposure during the culling process, cullers should wear proper personal protective equipment such as protective clothing, masks, goggles, boots and gloves.
• Cullers should follow a decontamination procedure when taking off their protective equipment.
• Workers involved in mass culling operations, transportation and burial/incineration of carcasses should be vaccinated with the current human influenza vaccine (to avoid coinfection with avian and human strains of influenza).
• Individuals exposed to infected poultry or farms should be monitored closely by local health authorities.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving each farm.
• Make sure all equipment used to cull birds is disposed of properly, or disinfected and stored away from other equipment and where children cannot get it.

Click here to download "Key Messages on Prevention and Control of Bird-to-Human Transmission of Avian Influenza" as a PDF document.

From United States Department of Agriculture:

• Wash hands before and after handling food;
• Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other foods;
• After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water;
• Sanitise cutting boards by using a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water; and
• Use a food thermometer to ensure food has reached the proper temperature. Cook whole birds to 180 ¡ÆF; breasts to 170 ¡ÆF; drumsticks, thighs and wings to 180 ¡ÆF; and a minimum oven temperature of 325 ¡ÆF.

Click here for the US Department of Agriculture, "Questions and Answers: Avian Influenza", November 2005.

From Avian Influenza Information, Education, Communication (IEC) Working Group:

• Avoid contact with sick or dead poultry - Report immediately to the authorities.
• Handle and slaughter all poultry safely (wear mask, gloves, use disinfectant)
• Cook poultry thoroughly (no eating pink meat and runny eggs or consuming raw duck blood)
• Wash hands with soap before and after handling live poultry and preparing for cooking

Additional Facts to be communicated:

• Bird flu kills but it can prevented
• Bird flu can be transmitted from poultry to humans
• Not all infected birds show symptoms of bird flu - Your poultry at home could be infected
  without you knowing.

Click here to download the AI IEC's "Viet Nam Avian Influenza/Pandemic Preparedness Communication Workshop Report", December 2005.

from FAO:

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Animal Infection For Those Who Keep Poultry

Good Hygiene Practices Help Protect Your Flock Against Avian Flu

Avian flu can enter your farm when you introduce new poultry.

Avian flu can enter your farm through infected droppings brought in from the outside by shoes, dirty cages and wheels (of bicycles, cars, etc.).

Avian flu can be transmitted between different species (e.g. from poultry to pigs, cats, dogs) - ducks can become infected with avian flu without showing any symptoms, and then transmit it to chickens.

Avian flu can flourish and spread in live bird markets.

Poultry which are sick or have died as a result of avian flu can be very dangerous for your family and community.

If your farm becomes infected, what YOU do next can help control the outbreak, protect people and allow normal production to resume on all farms in the area, especially your own.

You must increase all preventive measures if there is an outbreak of avian flu or farms with sick/dead poultry in the neighbourhood.

Be on the Lookout for the Signs of Avian Influenza in Your Poultry

If your poultry shows the following signs, it may have avian influenza:

• lack of coordination (including inability to walk and stand)
• ruffled feathers
• difficulty in breathing
• loss of appetite
• depression and droopiness
• bluish colouring of wattles and comb
• edema and swelling of head, eyelids, comb, wattles, hocks
• watery diarrhoea
• small haemorrhages (most visible on feet and shanks)
• signs of blood in nose discharge
• sudden fall in egg production
• eggs with soft shells

Protect Your Poultry

• When you buy new poultry, keep them separate from your existing flock for at least 2 weeks
• Keep chickens separated from domestic ducks and geese, and wild birds
• Keep poultry separated from other livestock species
• Protect your supplies of water and feed - they attract wild birds
• Keep birds that appear to be/are sick separate from the rest of the flock and other animals
• Regularly clean the areas where poultry are kept
• Keep your poultry away from water which may contain (wild) bird droppings
• If you return from the market with unsold poultry, keep them separated from other animals, especially younger poultry
• If possible, vaccinate your flock against other diseases (such as Newcastle disease, etc.)

Keep Your Farm Isolated

• Do not borrow equipment or vehicles from other farms
• Keep the number of visitors to your farm down to a minimum
• Keep all means of transport outside your farm as far as possible
• If transport must enter, wash the wheels at the farm entrance
• When anybody (including you and your family) enters the farm, wash the bottoms of shoes or change shoes at farm entrance
• Wash pens and cages coming from outside
• When you come back from the market, wash the poultry pens, cages and other forms of container and means of transport thoroughly
• Keep pens, cages, other forms of container, the farmyard and equipment clean, washing thoroughly at least once a week

What to Do with Sick or Dead Birds

• Report sick or dead birds immediately to the veterinary authorities (or local equivalent)
• Do not leave dead animals lying around
• Do not throw dead animals into rivers, lakes or other bodies of water
• If you have a plastic bag, place the carcass in the bag; if you do not, take the carcass away from the rest of the flock and out of reach of children and others
• Leave disposal of bird carcasses to the veterinary authorities (or local equivalent) and help only if they ask
• If there are no veterinary authorities (or local equivalent), seek help from your local community to dispose of carcasses
• Do not eat the carcass of a dead bird
• Do not sell the carcass of a dead bird

If you Must Dispose of Dead Birds Yourself

• Get rid of carcasses safely by burning them or burying them deeply enough that dogs, cats and other scavengers cannot reach them
• Burn or bury feathers and other waste away from your farmyard

Using Manure

• Allow manure to decompose for several weeks before applying it on fields

During Outbreaks

• Do not visit other farms
• Do not bring new animals to your farm
• Avoid visitors on your farm

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

From UNICEF Turkey:

1. Keep children away from poultry and other birds.
2. Report sick or dead birds to your local authorities immediately.
3. Seek immediate treatment if you fall sick after contact with dead or sick birds.
4. Avian Flu treatment is FREE!
5. Soap kills germs - Wash your hands with soap and water frequently.
6. Cook eggs and chicken thoroughly at a high temperature.

Click here for online access to the poster "Six Steps to Avoid Bird Flu!".

From the United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health, National Health Services:

If You Are Travelling to an Affected Area

If you are visiting countries with reported outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu among poultry, you should observe the following measures:

• do not visit bird or poultry farms or markets
• avoid close contact with live or dead poultry
• do not eat raw or poorly-cooked poultry
• do not eat raw or poorly-cooked poultry products, including blood
• wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

If you have been in contact with live or dead poultry in an affected country be aware of the symptoms of bird flu in humans. They are similar to ordinary flu symptoms and can appear suddenly. They may include:

• a fever (temperature of 38¢ªC or more)
• cough
• shortness of breath
• headache
• sore throat
• sore eyes
• muscle aches.

If you have these symptoms whilst abroad and have been in close contact with live or dead poultry you should seek medical advice locally.

If You Are Returning from an Affected Area

If you develop the above symptoms within seven days of leaving an affected country and you had close contact with live or dead poultry, it is very important that you:

• seek immediate medical attention
• telephone your doctor or ring National Health Services Direct stating your symptoms and recent travel history
• follow the advice you are given.

Medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol may help relieve the symptoms. Follow the instructions with the medicine. Do not give aspirin to children under 16 years of age.



As with any respiratory infection, you should follow good hygiene practices by:

• covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
• using tissues only once when coughing or sneezing and disposing of them promptly and carefully
• washing your hands frequently with soap and water.

Click here to download "Disease Risk: Bird Flu (Avian Influenza). Public Health Advice for those Going to or Returning from Bird Flu-infected Areas" [PDF], April 2006.

From USAID:

Bird-to-Human Prevention

It is very difficult for humans to get avian flu, but if you have signs of a serious respiratory illness, get care.

• If you become sick with a high fever after contact with dead or sick birds, seek immediate treatment.
• If you suspect that someone has avian influenza, take them to a health care provider immediately.

Avoid close contact with birds.

• Do not touch dead or sick birds with bare hands; use gloves.
• If poultry have to be kept indoors (for example, during winter in cold climates), keep in a specific area away from where the family sleeps and eats.
• Do not let poultry into your house.
• If possible, do not let children collect eggs and keep them away from birds - including birds if they are not kept indoors all the time.
• Do not let children help with slaughtering or preparing poultry or wild birds.

Take precautions if you unintentionally come into contact with poultry or poultry feces in an affected area.

• Wash your hands well with soap and water (or ash if soap is not available) after each contact with wild birds or domestic poultry or bird feces.
• Remove your shoes outside the house and clean them of all dirt.
• If you develop a high temperature, visit a doctor or go to the nearest health care facility immediately.

Take precautions in preparing and consuming poultry meat and eggs.

• The greatest risk of exposure to avian influenza is through the slaughter and handling of infected poultry. Remember that not all infected birds show signs of illness, so be careful when slaughtering any poultry.
• Good hygiene practices are essential during slaughter and post-slaughter handling to prevent exposure via raw poultry meat or cross contamination from poultry to other foods, food preparation surfaces or equipment.
• Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other foods.
• After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife and counter tops with hot soapy water, and use bleach if available.
• Ensure that poultry meat and eggs are thoroughly cooked.
• Do not eat eggs or blood unless they are thoroughly cooked. Do not eat runny eggs or meat that is pink. To be safe, egg whites and yellow must be solid. Raw eggs should not be used in foods that will not be cooked.
• Eggs can contain avian influenza virus both on the outside (shell) and the inside (whites and yolk), so it is important to wash hands after handling eggs and to cook eggs thoroughly.
• The avian influenza virus is not killed by freezing or refrigeration, but cooking (temperatures at or above 70°C in all parts of a food item) will kill the avian influenza virus.

Practice overall good hygiene

• Wash hands with soap and water (or if soap is not available, with ash) before and after handling food.
• Use masks and gloves when handling poultry or other birds.
• If practical, change your clothing once you arrive at the workplace, especially if you have poultry in your backyard or come in contact with poultry on your way to work.

Take precautions if you are visiting farms or other areas where poultry are kept.

• When visiting a farm or entering a yard where poultry is kept, wash hands with soap and water (or ash if soap is not available) and after you leave.
• Brush and disinfect clothing, shoes/sandals, and the wheels of bikes/motorcycles/etc. after leaving the area, especially before going indoors.

Workers involved in culling operations should protect themselves.

• Because of the high risk of exposure during the culling process, cullers should wear proper personal protective equipment such as protective clothing, masks, goggles, boots and gloves.
• Cullers should follow a decontamination procedure when taking off their protective equipment.
• Workers involved in mass culling operations, transportation and burial/incineration of carcasses should be vaccinated with the current human influenza vaccine (to avoid coinfection with avian and human strains of influenza).
• Individuals exposed to infected poultry or farms should be monitored closely by local health authorities.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving each farm.
• Make sure all equipment used to cull birds is disposed of properly, or disinfected and stored away from other equipment and where children cannot get it.

Click here to download "Key Messages on Prevention and Control of Bird-to-Human Transmission of Avian Influenza" as a PDF document.

From USAID:

Human-to-Human Prevention

Human-to-human influenza is extremely rare.

• A few instances of human-to-human transmission are suspected; all of them involved transmission of avian close contact with people who had avian influenza.
• If you are taking care of someone who has avian influenza or suspected avian influenza, but it is possible get guidance from a health care provider about how best to protect yourself.

Know what to do if you think you or someone else has avian influenza

• If you feel sick after contact with someone who has avian influenza, seek immediate treatment.
• If you suspect that someone has avian influenza, take them to a health care provider immediately.
• Until you bring the person to a health care provider, take specific protective actions: wash your hands frequently, wear a mask or cover your mouth and nose with a cloth, have the person who is ill wear a mask or cover their mouth and nose with a cloth (as long as it does not make it harder for them to breathe), and limit the number of people who come within a meter of the sick person to as few as possible.
• Contact your [INSERT RELEVANT HEALTH ORGANIZATION] for additional guidance.

Practice good hygiene at home and in public

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. If soap is unavailable, use ash.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• If possible, stay home from work, school and errands when you have any symptoms of respiratory illness, including a bad cold.

Click here to download "Key Messages on Prevention and Control of Human-to-Human Transmission of Avian Influenza" as a PDF document.

From WHO:

The spread of bird flu in affected areas can normally be prevented.

• People should avoid contact with chickens, ducks or other poultry unless absolutely necessary. This is the best way to prevent infection with the bird flu virus.
• Children are at high risk because they may play where poultry are found. 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.
  • Not to sleep near poultry.
• Do not transport live or dead chickens, ducks or other poultry from one place to another even if you think your birds are healthy.
• Handling of poultry in affected areas should be done within the area without transporting them to other areas.
• 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 (>37.5¡ÆC), visit a doctor or the nearest health care facility immediately.

Click here to download "Advice for People Living in Areas Affected by Bird Flu or Avian Influenza" from the WHO website as a PDF document.

From European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC):

The guidelines apply only to the at risk groups such as cullers and people in regions affected by H5N1 who work, or live, on poultry farms or who keep poultry. They do not apply to the population at large. Advice to the general public is given in the next section. Protection is based on the application of the following six principles:

1. Control infection in birds
2. Minimise the number of people possibly exposed to the virus - as far as possible separating people from the avian viruses and potentially infected birds and animals
3. Proper use of personal protective equipment for those directly involved in the work with potentially infected animals
4. Proper but controlled limited use of antiviral drugs following a local risk assessment
5. Recommending seasonal influenza vaccination for people involved in culling infected poultry flocks, especially if seasonal influenza is circulating
6. Careful surveillance for infection among those potentially exposed

Guidelines:

• The minimum number of people necessary should be involved in bird culling
• Farm workers not directly involved in culling activities, and other people living on farms in regions where H5N1 is present, should avoid exposure to known or potential sources of avian influenza virus (i.e. avoiding contact with chicken, ducks and other poultry unless absolutely necessary).
• In some cases, restrictions on the movements of people into and out of infected areas may need to be considered
• Cullers should wear face masks, eye protection, gloves and protective suits
• Cullers should follow a decontamination procedure when taking off their protective equipment

Click here to download "H5N1 Avian influenza - ECDC Key Message" from the ECDC website as a PDF document.

From FAO:

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Human Infection For Cullers

Culling is a very dangerous activity due to the high risk of becoming infected with avian flu.

The avian flu virus can be transmitted through contact with poultry, and their droppings, feathers, intestines and blood.

It is very important to minimize contact with poultry and wild birds.

Take Care When Culling Poultry

• Cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth/face mask (PPE if available)
• Use gloves
• Be very careful and keep contact with feathers, blood, intestines, etc. to a minimum
• Wash your hands thoroughly after culling
• Clean the culling place thoroughly
• Dispose of any leftovers with care by burning or deep burying
• Do not allow dogs or other animals to come into close contact with leftovers

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

From USAID:

There is a new disease called avian influenza that is more serious than other poultry diseases.

• Avian influenza can kill all the birds on a farm very quickly.
• All kinds of birds can get avian flu and can spread it to other birds - chickens, ducks, geese, quails, turkeys, pigeons, wild birds and even pet birds.
• Domestic poultry and humans can get the disease from the droppings, mucus, blood or
  feathers of infected wild or domestic birds.
• Avian flu looks like other poultry diseases, especially Newcastle disease. Even if you think you know what is making your birds sick or die, still tell authorities, just to be safe.
• Birds that are infected can spread the disease before they show signs of illness.
• Some birds such as ducks can get and spread the disease and never show signs of illness.
• It is possible for birds vaccinated against avian influenza to be infected, but they may not show signs of illness.

If you find any dead or sick birds, report them to the authorities immediately.

• Report instances of sudden death of large numbers of birds immediately to [ authority].
• Report instances of sickness among your poultry immediately to [authority].
• Report any sick or dead wild birds immediately to [authority].
• Protect your community - contacting the authorities immediately will prevent the virus from spreading to other farms in your neighborhood.

If you find any dead or sick birds, handle them properly.

• Do not touch dead or sick birds with bare hands; use gloves (or plastic bags if there are no gloves).
• Dispose of dead birds properly. Wear gloves and a mask and use a hoe or stick to place them in a bag or other container. Keep the container away from animals and from people until the authorities can inspect the situation.
• Dead birds should not be thrown in a river, pond or other body of water.
• If you see one or more birds that look sick, don’t leave them in the yard; take them out of the flock using gloves and place them in a closed cage. Then contact the [authority - e.g. paravet or agriculture extension worker] immediately.

If your poultry or your neighbor's poultry are sick or have died from avian influenza, it is important to cull any surviving birds and disinfect your farm.

• Not all birds that are infected show signs of illness.
• Avian influenza does not just affect you and your farm - it affects your entire community. That's why it's important to cull your sick poultry and those nearby
• You have a responsibility to protect your family and neighbors. If there is infection in your flock or a nearby flock, allow your poultry to be culled
• Do not kill birds yourself - wait for the people sent by the government who will do it properly.
• After your birds have been culled, follow the authorities’ instructions about getting compensation and about disinfecting your farm.

If you are involved in culling activities, practice safe and humane culling procedures.

• Process each lot of birds separately, and clean and disinfect poultry houses between flocks.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving the farm.
• Practice good biosecurity: use personal protective equipment and disinfectant.

Don't bring contamination from other farms or markets.

• Make sure you brush or wash off your shoes and the wheels of your bicycle/motorcycle and change clothing after coming back from farms or live-bird markets so you don't carry the virus home on your clothing, shoes, or equipment.
• Clean or disinfect anything coming into the farm that may have contacted poultry or poultry droppings outside the farm. This includes clothing, tools and equipment such as cages, bicycle and automobile tires.
• Do not borrow equipment or vehicles from other farms.
• Do not transport live or dead chickens, ducks or other poultry from one place to another -- even if you think your birds are healthy.
• Don’t bring other animals, such as chicks, ducklings or piglets, from another farm.
• Do not buy or accept animals, eggs or manure from other farms
• If your poultry does not sell at the market, keep the birds separate for at least 14 days before you return them to the rest of your flock.

Separate your poultry from wild birds and any domestic birds that roam free.

• Keep all poultry penned, fenced, or caged and away from other animals and wild birds.
• Keep your chickens separated from any ducks or other birds that roam free.
• Keep poultry away from any source of water that could have been contaminated by wild birds.
• Keep poultry brought to the farm/homestead from outside separate from your flock for at least 14 days.

Regularly clean the areas where poultry are kept.

• Burn or bury feathers and other waste away from the farmyard. Bury waste deep and with lime so that scavengers do not dig it up.
• Clean or sweep feces and unconsumed feed from the yard every day.
• Allow manure to decompose for several weeks to allow any virus to die before using it as fertilizer.

Vaccination can help protect your poultry.

• If authorities recommend vaccination, bring your birds to be vaccinated.
• Vaccination protects birds from illness but not from infection: vaccinated birds can still get avian influenza and there is a small risk that they can spread it.

Workers involved in culling operations should protect themselves.

• Because of the high risk of exposure during the culling process, cullers should wear proper personal protective equipment such as protective clothing, masks, goggles, boots and gloves.
• Cullers should follow a decontamination procedure when taking off their protective equipment.
• Workers involved in mass culling operations, transportation and burial/incineration of carcasses should be vaccinated with the current human influenza vaccine (to avoid coinfection with avian and human strains of influenza).
• Individuals exposed to infected poultry or farms should be monitored closely by local health authorities.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving each farm.
• Make sure all equipment used to cull birds is disposed of properly, or disinfected and stored away from other equipment and where children cannot get it.

Click here to download "Key Messages on Prevention and Control of Bird-to-Bird Transmission of Avian Influenza" as a PDF document.

Click here to download "Key Messages on Prevention and Control of Bird-to-Human Transmission of Avian Influenza" as a PDF document.

From United States Department of Agriculture:

Poultry producers should strengthen biosecurity practices to prevent the introduction of AI into their flocks. The following are some sound biosecurity practices:

• Keep an "all-in, all-out" philosophy of flock management. Avoid skimming flocks-birds left behind are exposed to work crews and equipment that could carry poultry disease viruses. Process each lot of birds separately, and clean and disinfect poultry houses between flocks.
• Protect poultry flocks from coming into contact with wild or migratory birds. Keep poultry away from any source of water that could have been contaminated by wild birds.
• Permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm.
• Provide clean clothing and disinfection facilities for employees.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving the farm.
• Do not loan to, or borrow equipment or vehicles from, other farms.
• Change footwear and clothing before working with your own flock after visiting another farm or
  live-bird market or avoid visiting another bird farm if possible.
• Do not bring birds from slaughter channels, especially those from live-bird markets, back to the farm.

If AI is detected, farms must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. AI is inactivated by heat and drying and it is also very sensitive to most disinfectants and detergents. The area to be disinfected must be clear of organic material, which greatly increases the resistance of avian influenza virus' resistance to disinfection.

Click here for the US Department of Agriculture's "Questions and Answers: Avian Influenza", November 2005.

From FAO:

Reducing the Risk of Animal-to-Animal Infection For Those Who Provide Animal Health Services

Remember that when you deal with sick birds you risk carrying the virus on your clothes/shoes or becoming infected yourself.

Do Not Carry the Disease from Farm to Farm

• Leave your means of transport at the entrance to the farm
• Use protective clothing for culling operations
• Use protective clothing for vaccination of poultry
• Destroy dead/culled birds by burning or deep burying
• After each visit to a farm, dispose of your apron, and clean and disinfect your equipment and boots

Click here to download "Protect Poultry - Protect People" s as a PDF document from FAO.

From USAID:

There is a new disease called avian influenza that is more serious than other poultry diseases.

• Avian influenza can kill all the birds on a farm very quickly.
• All kinds of birds can get avian flu and can spread it to other birds - chickens, ducks, geese, quails, turkeys, pigeons, wild birds and even pet birds.
• Domestic poultry and humans can get the disease from the droppings, mucus, blood or
  feathers of infected wild or domestic birds.
• Avian flu looks like other poultry diseases, especially Newcastle disease. Even if you think you know what is making your birds sick or die, still tell authorities, just to be safe.
• Birds that are infected can spread the disease before they show signs of illness.
• Some birds such as ducks can get and spread the disease and never show signs of illness.
• It is possible for birds vaccinated against avian influenza to be infected, but they may not show signs of illness.

If you find any dead or sick birds, report them to the authorities immediately.

• Report instances of sudden death of large numbers of birds immediately to [ authority].
• Report instances of sickness among your poultry immediately to [authority].
• Report any sick or dead wild birds immediately to [authority].
• Protect your community - contacting the authorities immediately will prevent the virus from spreading to other farms in your neighborhood.

If you find any dead or sick birds, handle them properly.

• Do not touch dead or sick birds with bare hands; use gloves (or plastic bags if there are no gloves).
• Dispose of dead birds properly. Wear gloves and a mask and use a hoe or stick to place them in a bag or other container. Keep the container away from animals and from people until the authorities can inspect the situation.
• Dead birds should not be thrown in a river, pond or other body of water.
• If you see one or more birds that look sick, don’t leave them in the yard; take them out of the flock using gloves and place them in a closed cage. Then contact the [authority - e.g. paravet or agriculture extension worker] immediately.

If your poultry or your neighbor's poultry are sick or have died from avian influenza, it is important to cull any surviving birds and disinfect your farm.

• Not all birds that are infected show signs of illness.
• Avian influenza does not just affect you and your farm - it affects your entire community. That's why it's important to cull your sick poultry and those nearby
• You have a responsibility to protect your family and neighbors. If there is infection in your flock or a nearby flock, allow your poultry to be culled
• Do not kill birds yourself - wait for the people sent by the government who will do it properly.
• After your birds have been culled, follow the authorities’ instructions about getting compensation and about disinfecting your farm.

If you are involved in culling activities, practice safe and humane culling procedures.

• Process each lot of birds separately, and clean and disinfect poultry houses between flocks.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving the farm.
• Practice good biosecurity: use personal protective equipment and disinfectant.

Don't bring contamination from other farms or markets.

• Make sure you brush or wash off your shoes and the wheels of your bicycle/motorcycle and change clothing after coming back from farms or live-bird markets so you don't carry the virus home on your clothing, shoes, or equipment.
• Clean or disinfect anything coming into the farm that may have contacted poultry or poultry droppings outside the farm. This includes clothing, tools and equipment such as cages, bicycle and automobile tires.
• Do not borrow equipment or vehicles from other farms.
• Do not transport live or dead chickens, ducks or other poultry from one place to another -- even if you think your birds are healthy.
• Don’t bring other animals, such as chicks, ducklings or piglets, from another farm.
• Do not buy or accept animals, eggs or manure from other farms
• If your poultry does not sell at the market, keep the birds separate for at least 14 days before you return them to the rest of your flock.

Separate your poultry from wild birds and any domestic birds that roam free.

• Keep all poultry penned, fenced, or caged and away from other animals and wild birds.
• Keep your chickens separated from any ducks or other birds that roam free.
• Keep poultry away from any source of water that could have been contaminated by wild birds.
• Keep poultry brought to the farm/homestead from outside separate from your flock for at least 14 days.

Regularly clean the areas where poultry are kept.

• Burn or bury feathers and other waste away from the farmyard. Bury waste deep and with lime so that scavengers do not dig it up.
• Clean or sweep feces and unconsumed feed from the yard every day.
• Allow manure to decompose for several weeks to allow any virus to die before using it as fertilizer.

Vaccination can help protect your poultry.

• If authorities recommend vaccination, bring your birds to be vaccinated.
• Vaccination protects birds from illness but not from infection: vaccinated birds can still get avian influenza and there is a small risk that they can spread it.

Click here to download "Key Messages on Prevention and Control of Bird-to-Bird Transmission of Avian Influenza" as a PDF document.