Experience from the current outbreaks in Asia shows that human cases of avian influenza infection are very rare and most of them have been linked to direct close exposure to dead or diseased poultry, notably while home slaughtering, plucking and preparing raw poultry for cooking.

Such activities should be avoided in areas with outbreaks in poultry. Sick and dead animals must not be used for human or animal consumption, since the above mentioned home slaughtering process will cause widespread dissemination of the virus in the surrounding area and will be hazardous to those in the immediate neighbourhood.

Prevention of transmission through food

Do not prepare poultry from affected areas as food for your family or for animals. The slaughter and preparation of such birds for food is dangerous.

Normal cooking temperatures of 70°C or above inactivates the virus. Well-cooked poultry meat is safe to eat. Eggs, from infected birds, can harbour the virus both on the shell and within it and must be cooked before consumption.

In areas where there are outbreaks in poultry, handling of potentially contaminated frozen or raw poultry meat, bones and inner organs as well as poultry products before cooking, can be hazardous if good hygiene practices are not observed. WHO recommends the following good hygiene practices:

Do not touch other items or your face, do not rub eyes during preparing food in areas next to bird flu affected areas.
Wash your hands after handling frozen or raw chicken or eggs, wash also surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw meat, thoroughly with soap and water.

Thoroughly cooking of the poultry meat will inactivate the viruses. Ensure that the poultry meat reaches more than 70°C, that it is entirely cooked without pink areas, especially around the bones. Egg yolks should not be runny or liquid, eggs should be hard boiled.

Do not eat left over cooked chicken meat, especially not if left on display and kept warm before being served to the customer. Hands, which have not been recently washed, can contaminate this cooked meat, which has cooled down. Ask that it is cooked and served immediately while it is still hot.

Also, avoid foodstuffs, fruit and vegetables which are raw, or which have not been peeled in front of you. Hands, knives or working surfaces used to prepare raw chicken, may have contaminated these foodstuffs.

Basic hygiene.
The most important is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

In daily life
Infected bird faeces, droppings and excrement can contaminate the soil. We therefore recommend that you take off your shoes at the door of your or home and that you protect the soles of your feet with disposable plastic slippers. Clean the soles of your shoes regularly with water and soap after having been to contaminated areas.

Face masks will not protect you from contracting avian influenza from humans. They protect you from inhaling potentially infected animal dust in contaminated areas. They protect others if you have contracted influenza. Masks have a certain protective effect from catching human influenza (which is transmitted by air droplets) when you have to go out in public.

Children should avoid contact with any birds, their feathers, faeces and other waste.

If you have flu-like symptoms including temperature above 38°, report to your treating doctor.