Keep Safe from Bird Flu when Travelling

Avian Influenza or H5N1 or bird flu is not really something I worry that much about when travelling, I have to admit. But I should be, as all travellers have a particular responsibility in not spreading bird flu beyond the areas where the virus has already been found, i.e. Africa, Asia and Europe.

You’ll be aware, I’m sure, that so far H5N1 has mainly been found in poultry and wild birds and probably mainly spread by poultry and migrating birds. Obviously travellers can do very little to prevent those cases.

However, “a small number of [human] cases may have occurred following close and prolonged contact with another person who is visibly ill from H5N1 infection”, according to an alert by www.sos.travel. Should it become evident that human-to-human transmission is possible, far graver responsibility will be placed on travellers not to spread the virus.

I’m not calling for mass hysteria, but I for one need to pay much more attention to where bird flu has been found and what I can do to safeguard myself and others from the virus.

The World Health Organization keeps two maps updated to help you find out where bird flu has been found:

• Confirmed occurrence of H5N1 avian influenza in poultry and wild birds
• confirmed human cases of H5N1 avian influenza.

The “Keeping Yourself Safe from Bird Flu” article at www.sos.travel gives some good “before, during and after your trip” advice on what travellers (and locals for that matter) can do to keep safe from bird flu.

Most of the advice is common sense, but if you, like me, don’t think much about bird flu when you travel, then the advice might serve as a reminder.

I’m travelling from England to Denmark this week. Neither of the two countries has seen any human cases, but both have confirmed poultry and wild bird cases. So while the virus most definitely will not be at the forefront of my mind, I will try to make an extra effort to act responsibly.

TAGS: bird flu, travel