Bird Flu and babies

Newspaper headlines have been alerting us to the dangers of bird flu for some time now.

It’s a contagious disease that normally affects birds and poultry, and less commonly, pigs. In the past it was a very species-specific disease, affecting only animals and birds, but recent developments have seen the virus mutate and infect humans too. The World Health Organization has reported 185 human deaths from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, mainly in Asia where people live in close proximity to animals and possibly use the same water supplies.

Should I be worried about bird flu?

The worry with bird flu is that the H5N1 strain, which has already become strong enough to break the species barrier by infecting people, will mutate enough to pass from human to human, causing an influenza pandemic.? However, the US isn’t importing poultry from countries that have reported outbreaks of bird flu, so it currently isn’t an immediate threat to you or your child. It remains perfectly safe to eat properly cooked poultry in the US.

If you visit a country where bird flu has been reported, you can take simple precautions to safeguard your health and your child’s…

- Don’t visit any bird or poultry farms or markets.

- Avoid close contact with live or dead poultry.

- Don’t eat raw or undercooked poultry.

- Make sure you and your family wash their hands frequently in hot soapy water.

• The Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/) posts up-to-date travel advisories on its website.

The information on this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.