Prevention is the best way to stop avian influenza outbreaks and reduce the chance of a pandemic. Efforts are needed by individuals, healthcare providers, health agencies, and international organizations.

At present, there are no working bird flu vaccines. In the case of highly pathogenic infections, poultry often die too fast to be treated. Treating people has proved to be extremely difficult, as evidenced by a death rate that exceeds 50%.

The best -- and usually the only -- defense we have against avian influenza is preventing the virus from spreading. If we can’t effectively fight the infections (especially in the case of the H5N1 virus subtype), we have to do our best to avoid it.

What can nations do?

When it comes to infected bird populations, there are several actions authorities can take:

Culling: The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the destruction of sick or exposed birds the first line of defense against avian flu. Millions of birds have been destroyed since the first human cases of bird flu in 1997. During the culling process, it is crucial to avoid infection at all costs. It is the most dangerous part of prevention -- many H5N1 victims were taking part in the culling process and were infected after coming into contact with the birds’ blood, secretions, or feces.

Surveillance: Some countries have strict vaccination and surveillance programs for poultry farms and markets that include disinfecting boots and tires. They are also working to prevent bird smuggling and placing birds that are new to a region in quarantine until they prove to be healthy.

Banning birds: Many countries have banned or restricted the importation of birds and hatching eggs from regions with bird flu epidemics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) banned poultry imported from most Asian nations in February 2004.

What can individuals do?

The rest of us can take measures into our own hands to prevent the spread of disease.

• Wash your hands: Washing your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds is one of the single most effective ways to reduce the risk of infection. Wash them before and after:

• Preparing or eating food
  
• Using the bathroom
  
• Using public transportation
  
• Handling pets or animals
  
• Sneezing or coughing

• Cover your mouth: Use a clean tissue to cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

• Minimize contact: Limit your exposure to live poultry.

• Keep it clean: Even though none of the human cases of bird flu have been due to eating infected poultry, the H5N1 virus has been found in a package of frozen duck. Thoroughly wash all surfaces and utensils after handling raw poultry.

• Cook it well: Avian virus is found in the blood of poultry, so cook poultry until the juices run clear.

• Avoid certain foods: Raw or undercooked eggs are a great place for viruses to thrive, so avoid foods that contain them, such as:

• Mayonnaise
• Hollandaise sauce
• Caesar dressing
  
• Homemade ice cream

• Get equipped: If you’re a part of a culling team, make sure that you’re equipped with protective clothing that can easily be cleaned or disposed of, several pairs of surgical gloves, and a respirator.

• Supervise kids: If you live in an outbreak area, keep children away from contact with poultry.
  
  For example, don't let them swim or play in a pond that poultry drink or swim in. Although the birds themselves are not contagious, their feces and secretions are.

• Consider vaccinations: Members of high-risk groups should consider getting a flu vaccination to prevent possible avian influenza virus mutations.

What's being done right now?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing leadership to the National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Task Force, created in May 2005. The HHS is working with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) on training workshops for state laboratories on the use of special techniques to identify H5 virus strains.

The CDC also is working with WHO and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health to investigate influenza H5N1 in Vietnam and to provide help in laboratory diagnostics and training to local authorities. They have started a $5.5 million initiative to improve influenza surveillance in Asia.

Obviously, a bird flu vaccine would be a great prevention method. This has proved challenging to pharmaceutical researchers, but the CDC is working with WHO and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on vaccine seed testing.

What about alternative methods of prevention?

The human immune system is your first line of defense against the H5N1 bird flu. Your immune system is compromised daily by chemical exposure due to air, water, ground pollution, and by stress. Additionally the overuse of immunosuppressive drugs such as steroid creams reduces your body’s ability to defend itself against a viral inflection. The bird flu is a virus, and antibiotics would not have any effect against it.

To help to protect yourself and others from the Bird Flu, your immune system response can be raised to a significantly higher level by the use of
the following over-the-counter, immune enhancing substances:

Beta 1,3-D Glucan - 1000 mg per day 30 minutes before a meal
Thymic Protein A - 4mcg per day
Immune Advantage (Formerly ImmunoLin) - 2 tablets per day

Homeopathy & Ayurveda

"Homeopathy offers a much more effective treatment against viral infections in general. Also it offers complete cure in almost all infectious illness if there is not much destruction of tissues that is in cases other than advanced pathological changes. It is of greater importance that as homeopathy can start effective treatment based on symptomatology one can start the damage control much earlier before actual diagnosis of bird flu. The only problem being many a cases of possible bird flue (or any other grave or answerless illness) will be completely cured without there is a chance for proper diagnosis and recording the credit to the account of homeopathy. But no good homeopath needs credit but relief to suffering human.

Another important help homeopathy can do is in the treatment of birds. It is well proven in many countries that veterinary homeopathy is much more effective. A similar form of bird flue is treated very well by homeopathic remedies in India for so long. Ayurveda also offers good effective treatment for both avian and human variety of flu. Similar to homeopathy highly effective simple Ayurvedic preparation are in use for bird flu in poultry in India for generations. "

See also

• Bird flu outbreaks
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Mutation and antigenic shift
• Vaccinations and antivirals
• Bird flu protective gear