As the bird flu (avian flu) virus is carried by birds, it is very difficult to prevent it spreading. However, there are some things you can do to reduce your chances of developing a viral infection.

General precautions

To reduce your risk of developing and passing on viral infections, such as flu, always ensure that you:

• wash your hands regularly, particularly after going to the toilet and before handling food
• turn away from other people and cover your mouth with tissues when you cough or sneeze
• dispose of tissues immediately after use and wash your hands with soap and warm water
• avoid public places if you are ill 
• tell the receptionist at your GP surgery about your symptoms so that you can be seated away from other people and given a surgical mask if necessary
• make sure that you maintain a good level of general health and that you have any recommended vaccinations – such as the pneumococcal vaccination and seasonal flu vaccine – if you are in a high-risk group (for example, if you have a long-term illness such as asthma or you are 65 or over)

Contact with birds

You can feed wild birds and ducks, but it is important to ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Do not go near sick or dead birds.

Keep away from bird droppings if possible and wash your hands thoroughly if you accidentally touch any.

Call the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) helpline on 08459 33 55 77 if you find five or more dead birds in the same place.

If you come across between one and four dead birds, Defra advises leaving them alone or disposing of them carefully. See the Defra website for guidelines for disposing of dead birds.

Pets

In general, you don't need to change the way you look after your pets. If you have a dog that sometimes catches wild birds, try to avoid areas where this is likely to happen. In theory, the H5N1 bird flu strain can be passed on to other animals, but it is very unlikely.

If you have a pet bird, you should avoid letting your pet bird have any contact with wild birds or wild bird droppings.

Travel

If you are travelling in a country that has had an outbreak of bird flu, don't go to live animal markets or poultry farms.

Don't go near bird droppings or dead birds, and don't bring live birds or poultry products back to the UK with you, including feathers.

The NHS has plans in place to manage a potential outbreak of bird flu in the UK, although such an outbreak is considered highly unlikely.

Preparing meat

Bird flu is not transmitted through cooked food. It is safe to eat poultry and eggs in areas that have had outbreaks of bird flu.

As a precaution, always ensure good hygiene standards when preparing and cooking meat. For example:

• use different utensils for cooked and raw meat
• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after handling meat
• ensure that meat is thoroughly cooked and piping hot before serving

Read more about bird flu and food.