Welcome to Bird Flu Explained H5N1 Risks and Prevention I am your host from Quiet Please Today we are breaking down what you need to know about bird flu or H5N1 how it spreads what puts you at risk practical ways to protect yourself and others and some key facts everyone should hear

First what is H5N1 Bird flu is a disease caused by influenza viruses that mainly affect wild birds and poultry Since 2024 the H5N1 strain has spilled into other species including dairy cattle in the United States according to the CDC and Johns Hopkins Although most human infections have come from close animal contact the continued outbreaks remind us that prevention matters

Transmission of H5N1 happens when people come into direct contact with infected birds, poultry livestock, or their bodily fluids It is not common but possible for the virus to jump to humans if they breathe in dust contaminated with droppings or touch contaminated surfaces and then their mouth nose or eyes UChicago Medicine has emphasized that the virus can also be found in raw milk from infected cows so drinking unpasteurized dairy is a risk

High-risk behaviors include
Handling sick or dead birds livestock or their droppings, especially without gloves or masks
Visiting live poultry markets or farms with outbreaks
Consuming undercooked poultry eggs or drinking raw unpasteurized milk
Feeding pets raw dairy or raw poultry

Certain environments increase your risk like farms backyard coops wildlife areas or any setting where birds and livestock mix poorly ventilated barns and animal processing facilities are higher risk

Now here are step-by-step prevention measures you can take at home work or when visiting farms
Wash hands thoroughly after contact with animals or animal products Do not touch your face before washing up
Wear personal protective equipment like gloves N95 masks and goggles if handling potentially infected animals This is especially important for farm workers as the CDC and Public Health officials recommend
Keep animal housing areas well ventilated and always change into clean clothing before and after exposure
Cook poultry and eggs to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit and only drink pasteurized dairy
Limit visitors and animals around your birds and isolate new or returning birds for at least 14 to 30 days as Washington State Department of Agriculture advises
Never share equipment or tools between different farms or coops without full disinfection

Vaccines are a powerful tool against influenza viruses They work by training your immune system to recognize parts of the virus so if you are exposed your body can fight it off faster The CDC is working on targeted vaccines for H5N1 Meanwhile seasonal flu shots do not protect directly against H5N1 but can still help prevent coinfections which reduces overall risk

Some common misconceptions Bird flu is not spread by eating fully cooked poultry or pasteurized milk According to multiple public health sources there is no evidence that virus survives proper cooking or pasteurization Also human-to-human transmission remains extremely rare as most cases have clear animal exposure routes

For vulnerable people such as farm workers those with compromised immune systems the elderly and young children strict hygiene and minimizing direct animal contact are critical Occupational health monitoring and annual flu vaccination are strongly recommended

Thanks for tuning in to Bird Flu Explained from Quiet Please Come back next week for more insight on everyday health risks This has been a Quiet Please production For more visit Quiet Please Dot A I

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in...