The avian influenza virus is different from the SARS virus. The source of avian influenza generally spreads among birds. After close contact between humans and birds, the virus is inhaled directly or enters the mucous membranes to cause infection. To date, the avian influenza virus can only be transmitted from birds to humans, not from person to person. Therefore, there is no need to panic about avian influenza. As long as you pay attention to personal hygiene, keep your living environment clean and tidy, and avoid sources of the avian virus, you can prevent infection to a certain extent.
1. On food hygiene
Poultry and eggs should be thoroughly cooked. When handling and storing food, pay attention to separating raw and cooked items. Do not eat raw meat or offal from dead poultry or livestock. When boiling eggs, the white and yolk must be firm before consumption.
2. Isolate the source of infection
Avoid contact with live chickens and their feces. Do not use your mouth or nose to approach the rear end of a chicken. If contact is unavoidable, wear a mask and gloves. After handling live or frozen chickens, wash your hands thoroughly with detergent or soap. Wash your hands thoroughly after dissecting live (dead) poultry, livestock, and their products. When in contact with patients with avian influenza, wear a mask, gloves, and an isolation gown, and wash your hands after contact.
3. Wash your hands frequently
Experts believe that traditional health and epidemic prevention measures are very effective in preventing avian influenza. Among them, frequent handwashing is very effective in preventing various diseases, including influenza and avian influenza. Dr. Jeffrey Griffiths of the Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts explains that influenza is mostly spread from hands to the mouth. People often sneeze and blow their noses, then touch kitchen appliances like microwaves with their hands, unknowingly spreading the flu virus from their hands to their mouths. In addition, droplets sprayed when people cough land on surfaces and can spread germs through the hands of others.
4. Keep indoor air fresh, clean, and well-ventilated
You should open windows for ventilation for at least 10 minutes twice a day, or use an exhaust fan to maintain air circulation. Try to avoid places with poor air circulation.
5. Pay attention to the disinfection of daily necessities
The avian influenza virus is not heat-resistant and can be inactivated in 1 minute at 100°C. It is also sensitive to common disinfectants such as drying, ultraviolet radiation, mercury, and chlorine.
6. Seek medical attention immediately
If you have had contact with dead poultry or have returned from an avian influenza epidemic area and develop symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, body aches, high fever, general pain, fatigue, joint pain, or nasal congestion, you should seek medical attention at a regular medical facility and inform the doctor of your contact with poultry and your travel history.
If an avian influenza outbreak occurs before a vaccine is mass-produced, humans will be helpless.
7. Do not rely on superstition or unproven drugs
Currently, there are two drugs for treating avian influenza: "Tamiflu" capsules produced by Swiss Roche Pharmaceuticals and the inhaled drug "Relenza" produced by British GlaxoSmithKline. Due to limited production and high prices, more than 40 countries around the world are rushing to purchase and stockpile these two drugs. However, Dr. Henderson, founder of the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh, says that individuals should not buy these two drugs now. Henderson said: "I think it's a misconception that 'Tamiflu' is now seen as a panacea for all diseases." In the view of Henderson and many experts, "Tamiflu" capsules may help prevent an outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, but they will not provide comprehensive protection to the human body. Currently, the stock of "Tamiflu" is limited. It will take several years for Roche Pharmaceuticals to significantly increase production. Moreover, the wider the use of any drug, the more likely it is for the pathogen to mutate and develop drug resistance. Dr. Anne Moscona, a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, said: "If you take 'Tamiflu' at home to treat a cold or respiratory illness instead of the flu, then when we encounter a deadly flu, we will not be able to use these drugs for treatment."
8. Isolate early when sick
Ordinary patients usually do not know the exact time to take medication, thus missing the best opportunity to prevent avian influenza. Therefore, experts recommend that once flu symptoms appear, you must avoid contact with the outside world to prevent the further spread of the germs. Chris Woods, a professor at the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, said: "Avoiding contact with other people is the biggest contribution you can make to public health."
Related topic: "Eat" your way to health: Get rid of the cold.