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Americans Worried About Avian Flu Are Flooding Health Experts With Questions, Even Though the Virus Isn't Here.

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

By Mike Stobbe

Americans fearful of bird flu are peppering health officials with questions: Is it safe to have a bird feeder in my yard? If I see a dead bird, should I report it? Is it still OK to have turkey at Thanksgiving?

The answers are yes, no and yes.

Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been handling an avalanche of phone calls from the public and the media.

"It's been insane," said Dave Daigle, a spokesman for the agency, which has been getting an average of 447,000 hits a day on its Web page that provides information on avian flu.

That is more than the agency got from people wanting to know about the shortage of flu vaccine 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 almost never spreads between humans and in two years has infected 117 people, all in Asia. More than 60 have died.

But in the last couple of weeks, there has been tremendous attention on the virus and how the U.S. government plans to cope with a possible global outbreak. Health experts think that the bird virus may one day mutate into a form that is not only deadly, but also easily spread among people.

The U.S. government has started stockpiling Tamiflu and other medicines that scientists believe might be effective against a pandemic virus.

Some people wonder if they should do the same thing. The manufacturer of Tamiflu, which was created to treat ordinary human flu, advises the drug be taken within 48 hours after flu symptoms begin. So Some health officials agree it might be wise to have a supply at the ready, especially if a shortage develops.

But people should suppress the urge to pester their doctors for Tamiflu prescriptions, said Dr. Charles Woernle of the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Those who hoard Tamiflu will reduce supplies for the elderly and others at risk of serious illness and death from conventional flu, he said.

"You'd be denying some folks who have definite, immediate needs," Woernle said.

Debbie Crane, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said that if people want to take precautions, they should eat right, wash their hands and take common- sense steps to bolster their health and immune systems.

She also suggested getting a flu shot. The vaccine for the upcoming flu season does not offer protection against bird flu. But protecting people against conventional flu could make them stronger against a new illness, health experts say.

One more thing: Quit smoking, Crane advised.

In North Carolina, officials estimate that 5,600 state residents could die in a bird flu pandemic. Meanwhile, about 10,000 residents of that state die annually because of tobacco use, Crane noted.

Here are answers from the agency and global health officials to some of the questions Americans have been asking:

Q: If I see a dead bird, should I report it?

A: 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 Southeast Asia and into Eastern Europe.

Q: We keep a small flock of chickens. Should we get rid of them?

A: No.

Q: If I feel fluish, should I ask my doctor to perform a particular test to check for the bird flu virus?

A: You may ask your doctor to conduct either a rapid diagnostic flu test or a lab test for influenza. If you have recently traveled an area where bird flu is endemic, inform your physician.

Q: Should I buy Tamiflu for my home?

A: Tamiflu is effective for treating ordinary flu, and scientists believe that it may help combat human infections caused by the H5N1 virus. However, the effectiveness of any antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu could change depending on how the virus changes.

Q: Is it safe to eat poultry? Does freezing/cooking destroy the bird flu virus?

A: Eating properly handled and cooked poultry is safe. The U.S. government has banned imported poultry from countries affected by bird flu. In addition, European health officials say cooking kills the virus, and they are assuring Europeans that it is safe to eat chicken.

Source: Buffalo News

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