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Currently avian influenza,
or bird flu, is only known to spread to humans from contact with the faeces
or respiratory secretions of infected birds. The bird flu virus does not pass
from human to human. However viruses survive by mutating constantly and if the
bird flu virus mutates to a form that can be transmitted between humans the consequences
could be catastrophic...
UN health
officials have warned the bird flu virus could mutate at any time and as a human
to human virus would be likely to kill from 5 to 150 million people. Vaccine supplies
are likely to be inadequate even if an effective vaccine could be produced quickly
enough for a rapidly mutating strain of avian influenza.
So what can
we do to reduce our chances of catching a killer virus like the bird flu? Fortunately
the safest, most effective bird flu prevention is almost ridiculously simple...
HOW VIRUSES LIKE THE BIRD FLU ARE TRANSMITTED
Many people
think viruses like the common cold and influenza fly through the air then into
your body through your mouth or nose. But most viruses don't fly into your body
- they hitchhike!
When you have a flu and you sneeze, all those droplets
containing the influenza virus travel through the air and often land on items
people touch frequently, like doorknobs, desks or telephones.
With a
virus on your hands all you need to do is touch, scratch or rub your eyes or nose
and the virus can enter your body. Over ninety percent of respiratory viruses
get into your body when you touch your eyes and nose with your fingernails.
Cleaning your hands could be the key to avoiding the bird flu virus. You should thoroughly wash and dry your hands every time you go to the toilet and any time you have hand to hand contact with people or contact with birds. The next time you go to rub your eyes or engage in an unmentionable activity with your nostrils remember viruses don't fly into your body- they hitchhike.
THE SIMPLE WAY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CATCHING BIRD FLU
The most important thing that can be done to prevent colds and flu is the practice
of good handwashing skills," says Pamela Aaltonen, public health expert and associate
professor in the School of Nursing at Purdue University. "As the temperatures
outside drop and we all start spending more time in enclosed spaces, we start
sharing the same organisms, which live on surfaces such as doorknobs and keyboards.
That's why it is so crucial to wash these organisms off to prevent their spread."
Aaltonen says studies have shown that 40 percent to 60 percent of people
don't wash their hands after using the restroom. And those who do wash their hands
often don't know the proper technique.
"Most people who do wash their
hands do so much too quickly," she says. "In order to be effective, hands should
be washed with soap from 20 to 25 seconds. The three keys are soap, friction and
water. "If we could get the world to embrace handwashing, we would have much less
illness."
She says hands should be washed after going to restroom; before
preparing and eating food; after helping a child to use the bathroom; after changing
a diaper; after blowing your nose; coughing or sneezing into your hands; after
handling animals or animal waste; and before carrying out first aid for an open
cut or wound.
These simple precautions can limit the spread of bird
flu to other people. She says it is important to stay home from work or school
if you do feel under the weather to avoid carrying germs into a larger population.
Also, older people should take special care because pneumonia can develop after
a bout with a flu type illness like the bird flu.
For more information about bird flu and the prevention of colds and influenza please see the links to other resources on this page.
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