|
|
ATLANTA — Americans fearful of bird flu are peppering health officials with all sorts of questions.
“It’s been insane,” said Dave Daigle, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is getting an average of 447,000 hits a day on its avian flu information Web page.
That’s more inquiries than from people wanting to know about the flu shot shortage last October or the West Nile virus outbreaks in 2003.
And bird flu isn’t even here. It is just now infecting poultry in eastern Europe. So far, it seldom spreads between humans and in two years has infected 117 people, all in Asia. In the past couple of weeks, however, there has been tremendous attention on the virus.
If people really want to take precautions, they should eat right, wash their hands and take common-sense steps to bolster their health, said Debbie Crane, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Some common questions:
QUESTION
Is it safe to keep a bird feeder in the yard?
ANSWER
Yes.
QUESTION
If I see a dead bird, should I report it?
ANSWER
No. While there has been avian flu in the United States, it has not been the H5N1 strain that has spread through poultry farms in Asia and into eastern Europe.
QUESTION
If I feel fluish, should I ask my doctor to check for the bird flu virus?
ANSWER
You may ask your doctor to conduct either a rapid diagnostic flu test or a lab test for influenza. If you have recently traveled to an area where bird flu is endemic, tell your physician.
QUESTION
Should I buy Tamiflu?
ANSWER
Tamiflu is effective at treating ordinary flu, and scientists think it might help combat human infections caused by the H5N1 virus. But the effectiveness of any antiviral medicines could change depending on how the virus mutates.
QUESTION
Is it safe to serve turkey for Thanksgiving?
ANSWER
Eating properly handled and cooked poultry is safe. Also, the U.S. government has banned imported poultry from countries affected by bird flu.