University of Colorado at Boulder Avian Flu/Pandemic Flu Planning

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Prevent

Below you will find recommendations for how to minimize your risk of becoming infected with flu, including seasonal flu prevention and international travel guidelines that will help you avoid locations and situations where you might be exposed to avian flu.

Seasonal Flu Prevention
Avian “Bird” Flu Prevention

Seasonal Flu Prevention

The following health habits go a long way toward helping prevent the spread of seasonal flu and also are effective for the prevention of avian flu.

• Get a seasonal flu shot.
  There is no vaccination for the avian flu at this time. However, though the seasonal flu shot does not protect against the avian flu, the vaccination will give you protection from contracting the seasonal flu, which could weaken your immune system, making you more prone to becoming ill from the deadlier avian strain. Visit www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab3.html for more information.
• Clean your hands with soap and water.
  Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.  When washing, think about the song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” to know how long to wash. Turn off the faucet with a paper towel, open the door with the paper towel, and then dispose of the paper towel so you are not touching contaminated surfaces.
• Use a gel hand sanitizer.
  You can use a gel hand sanitizer to cleanse your hands when there is no visibile dirt. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. The gel hand sanitizer can help eliminate the germs.
• Practice good respiratory etiquette.
  Use a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Make sure others around you use tissues properly and dispose of them in the trash can.
• Avoid close contact.
  Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick, too.

Download as a PDF.

Avian “Bird” Flu Prevention

At this time there is no H5N1 bird flu in the United States.  However, measures can be taken to prevent the spread of bird flu if it does come to the U.S. Currently, those most at risk are individuals who travel outside the country. If you fall into this category, please follow the guidelines below:

Before your trip outside the United States

• Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travelers’ health website at www.cdc.gov/travel to learn about disease risks in various countries.
• See your doctor and make sure you have all the shots, medicine, and information you need.
• Take basic first aid and medical supplies, such as a thermometer and alcohol-based hand gel to clean your hands.
• Check the CDC Seeking Health Care Abroad website at www.cdc.gov/travel and the U.S. Department of State website at travel.state.gov for information about what to do if you get sick overseas.
• Make sure that you have a list of reputable health care centers, and their addresses, in the country to which you are traveling.
• Visit the University Risk Management website for additional international travel information and guidelines.

(Information gathered from CDC traveler’s health website, www.cdc.gov/travel)

While traveling outside the U.S.

• Avoid all direct contact with poultry, including touching well-appearing, sick, or dead chickens and ducks. Avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live poultry are raised or kept, and avoid handling surfaces contaminated with poultry feces or secretions.
• As with other infectious illnesses, one of the most important preventive practices is careful and frequent hand washing. Cleaning your hands often with soap and water removes potentially infectious material from your skin and helps prevent disease transmission. Waterless alcohol-based hand gels may be used when soap is not available and hands are not visibly soiled.
• All foods from poultry, including eggs and poultry blood, should be cooked thoroughly. Egg yolks should not be runny or liquid. Because influenza viruses are destroyed by heat, the cooking temperature for poultry meat should be 74°C (165°F)
• If you become sick with symptoms such as a fever accompanied by a cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing and you have had contact with poultry or contact with a confirmed avian flu case, a U.S. consular officer can assist you in locating medical services and informing your family or friends. Inform your health care provider of any possible exposures to avian influenza. See the CDC Seeking Health Care Abroad in Health Information for International Travel website for more information about what to do if you become ill while abroad. You should defer further travel until you are free of symptoms, unless traveling locally for medical care. You need to inform your airline if you are concerned about having contracted avian flu.
• Travelers' Health Automated Information Line: 877-FYI-TRIP (toll free)
  (For information about ordering the Yellow Book and International Certificates of Vaccination and recorded messages on travel-related health topics.)

After your return from traveling outside the United States

• Monitor your health for 10 days.
• If you become ill with a fever plus a cough, sore throat, or trouble breathing during this 10-day period, consult a health care provider.
• Before you visit a health care setting, tell the provider the following: 1) your symptoms, 2) where you traveled, and 3) if you have had direct contact with poultry or close contact with a severely ill person. This way, the health care provider can be aware if you have traveled to an area reporting avian influenza and provide care accordingly.
• Do not travel while ill, unless you are seeking medical care. Limiting contact with others as much as possible can help prevent the spread of any infectious illness.
• Wash your hands frequently and cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

Download as a PDF.