What is Avian Flu?
Avian flu, or “bird flu”, is a contagious disease caused by viruses that normally infect only birds, and, less commonly, pigs.  Avian flu viruses are highly species specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans.

What are the symptoms of Avian flu?
In humans, the disease produces severe flu-like symptoms, including nasal and chest cavity congestion leading to pneumonia.  The disease has a high fatality rate in humans.

How is Avian flu spread?
The role of migratory birds in spreading the disease is not fully understood.  There is evidence that migratory birds can spread the disease to poultry flocks.  In nearly all instances, human beings who contracted the disease were known to be in close contact with infected bird populations.

Where in the world have there been recent outbreaks of Avian flu?
The recent outbreak began in Southeast Area in 2003.  The disease has subsequently spread to parts of Indonesia and Vietnam, and from there has appeared in parts of Cambodia, China and Thailand.  In August 2004, Malaysia recorded its first Avian flu outbreak.  From there, the disease spread to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey and Romania.  Outbreaks in wild and domestic birds are under investigation elsewhere.  Japan, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia announced recently that they were successful in eradicating the disease from their poultry populations.

Where have human Avian flu cases occurred?
Human cases associated with this recent Avian flu outbreak have been confirmed in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

How do human beings contract the disease?
Direct contact with infected birds, including poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by bird feces, are currently considered the main route of human infection.

Is it safe to eat poultry and poultry products?
Yes.  Poultry and poultry products can be safely consumed provided they are properly cooked.  Following normal preparation procedures for poultry – including cooking to recommended temperatures and properly cleaning food preparation surfaces and utensils – are effective methods of killing the viruses that cause Avian flu and other ailments associated with poultry.  There is no evidence indicating that Avian flu can be transmitted through cooked poultry or poultry products.

How is the School District preparing for a potential outbreak of Avian flu?
The District already has in place disease prevention and mitigation programs – including emergency plans for handling the outbreak of any contagious diseases.  These programs include instruction for school-based staff and students in proper hand washing and sneeze and cough suppression techniques aimed at reducing the transmission of surface and airborne contaminants.  In the event of an outbreak, the District has emergency plans to identify and isolate individuals who exhibit symptoms of contagious diseases. Supplies of protective gloves, anti-viral disinfectants and face masks have been stockpiled at schools and work sites for immediate use in the event of a contagious disease outbreak.  In cases where large numbers of staff or students become ill, the District has contingency plans to consolidate healthy staff and students in a smaller number of school buildings and work sites, as well as to continue instructional programs for convalescing students in their homes and hospitals.  District officials remain in regular contact with local, state and federal health and emergency response agencies and will continue to work in close coordination with these officials to monitor the status of the Avian flu outbreak.