What you should know

Everyone is worried about the deadly bird flu, which has now spread from South East Asia to Russia and has also hit Europe.

The first thing to keep in mind is that there is definitely no cause for alarm at this point. Bird flu has, fortunately, not yet struck Malta, but the country is already on high alert and keeping tabs on what is happening in other countries.

Moreover, the local authorities are following the recommendations by the European Union, which yesterday announced a ban on the importation of live poultry, poultry products and feathers from the Russian Federation except the regions touching Finland and the Kaliningrad zone. The EU also banned outdoor bird sales or exhibitions. A derogation can be given in case the authorities in a member state believe that such an activity will not cause any risks.

The first case of avian influenza was detected in Hong Kong in 1997, and to date, around 120 people have contracted the avian flu virus. The bad news is that the death rate is high, with 67 people known to have succumbed to the virus.

There are only two suspected cases of human-to-human transmission, and it is believed that the rest have contracted it directly from birds.

It is important to know that prolonged close contact between humans and infected birds, usually in a confined space, needs to take place for a human to get infected.

Although it is believed that the virus can exist in tissue, eating cooked poultry or eggs is not believed to be a source of infection. Poultry cooked at 70 degrees Celsius should be safe for consumption.

This means that unless you need to kill a few chickens, you do not have anything to worry about. Furthermore, the chickens you get close to need to be infected with high pathogenic influenza for you to get sick.

The biggest concern is that the virus will mutate to a form that is easily transmitted from person to person. Scientists have warned that if the avian influenza virus infects anyone who is already suffering from the ordinary flu, the two viruses could mutate into a stronger form against which nobody has immunity. This could very well lead to the next pandemic, which scientists have been predicting for a few years.

Although this has not yet happened, there is nothing wrong with being careful. After all, the virus could travel around the world in a short period of time.

The most important thing to do in order to avoid contracting the flu - both the seasonal influenza or the one causing a pandemic - is to wash your hands frequently and not touch your nose, eyes or mouth unnecessarily. As much as possible, also make sure that children wash their hands often, especially before and after eating and after using the bathroom.

Germs are present everywhere and it is imperative to try and not touch objects which would have been touched by others before you. The button to call a lift, the handle of public bathrooms and even somebody else's computer keyboard are full of germs, and touching them, and then touching your mouth or nose, might lead to you catching the flu. Washing your hands after touching any objects is paramount.

At home, it would be a good idea to wipe objects like the telephone, door knobs and water taps with alcohol-based wipes.

Also, avoid close and prolonged contact with people who are sneezing and coughing. On the same lines, do not be selfish, and before you sneeze or cough make sure that your mouth is covered. Dispose of tissues in a bin right away, without leaving them lying around, and wash your hands straight away.