Frequently asked questions

The Basic Facts and FAQs presented here are in line with FAO and WHO's guidance.
All Basic Facts and FAQs are in the process of being consolidated at the UN System level, and will be posted on this page as soon as they become available.

You may send your question(s) to avianflu@un.org and check this page for the answer(s). 

• Is it safe to travel to areas where Avian Influenza has been reported among birds and humans? ?
• Are there any precautions I should take?
• Should I take Tamiflu for travel?
• How do people get infected with avian influenza virus?
• Is it safe to consume poultry?
• How high is the risk of contracting avian influenza in Europe?
• What is the status of vaccine development and production?

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  Is it safe to travel to areas where Avian Influenza has been reported among birds and humans? ?

  Yes, it is. The virus is not easily spread from infected birds to humans. Though more than 170 human cases have occurred in the current outbreak, this is a small number compared with the huge number of birds affected and the numerous associated opportunities for human exposure, especially in areas where backyard flocks are common. Even among high-risk group of people working with poultry, it is not presently understood why some of them, and not others, become infected following similar exposures. Transition of the virus from human to human has not been confirmed.

  General precautions include avoiding markets where live poultry is sold, avoiding contact with live poultry, and good personal hygiene.

  Are there any precautions I should take?

  Yes, please refer to Health advisory on self protection for travel.

  Should I take Tamiflu for travel?

  No, you don't have to take tamiflu for travel because at present the chances of contracting avian flu while on a short mission to affected countries are extremely low. However, take the precautions described in Health advisory on self protection for travel.

  How do people get infected with avian influenza virus?

  Trough direct contact with infected poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is presently considered the main route of human infection. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or periurban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, sometimes entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play. As infected birds shed large quantities of virus in their faeces, opportunities for exposure to infected droppings or to environments contaminated by the virus are abundant under such conditions. Moreover, because many households in Asia depend on poultry for income and food, many families sell or slaughter and consume birds when signs of illness appear in a flock, and this practice has proved difficult to change. Exposure is considered most likely during slaughter, defeathering, butchering, and preparation of poultry for cooking (Source:WHO).

  Is it safe to consume poultry?

  Yes, though certain precautions should be followed in countries currently experiencing outbreaks (please refer to Health advisory on self protection for travel). In areas free of the disease, poultry and poultry products can be prepared and consumed as usual, with no fear of acquiring infection with the H5N1 virus..

  In areas experiencing outbreaks, poultry and poultry products can also be safely consumed provided these items are properly cooked. The H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat. Normal temperatures used for cooking (70°C in all parts of the food) will kill the virus. Consumers need to be sure that all parts of the poultry are fully cooked (no “pink” parts) and that eggs, too, are properly cooked (no “runny” yolks).

  Consumers should also be aware of the risk of cross-contamination. Juices from raw poultry and poultry products should never be allowed, during food preparation, to touch or mix with items eaten raw. When handling raw poultry or raw poultry products, persons involved in food preparation should wash their hands thoroughly and clean and disinfect surfaces in contact with the poultry products. Soap and hot water are sufficient for this purpose.

  In areas experiencing outbreaks in poultry, raw eggs should not be used in foods that will not be further heat-treated as, for example by cooking or baking.

  Avian influenza is not transmitted through cooked food. To date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even when these foods were contaminated with the H5N1 virus.

   

  How high is the risk of contracting avian influenza in Europe?

  According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) risk assessment, the direct risk to the health of people in Europe from the avian influenza detected is low and almost entirely confined to people living on farms with infected poultry or workers involved with culling and disposal of infected birds.

  The precautions for the general public in Europe, whether or not they are in a specific risk group in places where A/H5N1 is known or suspected to be present, is normal good personal hygiene (hand washing, especially after contact with birds) and in particular, not touching birds found sick or dead. It is safe to consume poultry if you follow simple recommendations on how to cook eggs and poultry thoroughly to prevent infection by salmonella and other organisms, as well as the almost non-existent risk of avian influenza (see Health advisory on self protection for travel).

  The full risk assessment, guidance for occupational risk in affected regions and travel advice is also available on the at ECDC website. (Source: Eurosurveillance editorial office) .

  What is the status of vaccine development and production?

  Vaccines effective against a pandemic virus are not yet available. Vaccines are produced each year for seasonal influenza but will not protect against pandemic influenza. Although a vaccine against the H5N1 virus is under development in several countries, no vaccine is ready for commercial production and no vaccines are expected to be widely available until several months after the start of a pandemic.

  Some clinical trials are now under way to test whether experimental vaccines will be fully protective and to determine whether different formulations can economize on the amount of antigen required, thus boosting production capacity. Because the vaccine needs to closely match the pandemic virus, large-scale commercial production will not start until the new virus has emerged and a pandemic has been declared. Current global production capacity falls far short of the demand expected during a pandemic (Source:WHO).