Bird Flu Questions and Answers

I saw a recent ad for air purifiers with UV lights, saying they kill viruses and bacteria. Is this statement true?

UV lights do kill viruses and bacteria. UV lights are used in hospitals and food services (restaurants, cafeterias, etc.) to sterilize hands, utensils, and surfaces. Read the article how to use a UV air sanitizer to create a bird flu airborne isolation room to treat sick people in the home.

Is it going to be safe to swim in the lakes or eat the fish. So many birds are there. Is there testing being done in the water to see if it is affected by bird feces?

Some caution is warranted. Several cases of bird flu are reported caused by a swimming in infected waters. The case reported is describes the water as a place where infected bird carcasses were discarded. Neither the WHO nor the CDC lists bodies of water as specific risks, however it would be wise to avoid the water if bird flu is confirmed to be infecting birds in the area. The WHO suggests that you swim at regulated beaches – presumably where water quality is tested regularly.

Your family will want to avoid contact with birds and fresh animal feces, because it is most likely to contain the virus. The flu virus can live outside of a host for 8-12 hours, but to counter that - ultraviolet light kills the virus. The largest source of UV light is sunshine. It is not likely that the virus would live long enough on an outdoor surface for someone to catch it under normal circumstances.

Fish are not affected by the avian flu virus. Properly cooking the fish would kill any influenza viruses they might harbor. Take along some Purell and clean your hands often.

I saw your suggestion to look into buying the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze machines to use in a room with someone who has the bird flu. I have read that some of them produce a dangerous amount of ozone when they run. Is that true?

Yes, the original Ionic Breeze machines from Sharper Image do tend to create ozone. They have come out with some new models that produce lower levels of ozone. However, the product that I recommend using is their AirSanitizer product which is different from their Ionic Breeze air purifiers. The AirSanitizer does not use the electrically charged plates to collect particles (and create ozone) like the others. In fact, it does not remove any particles from the air. It only kills micro-organisms in the air. It uses a high-powered ultraviolet light to kill the viruses, bacteria, and mold spores in the air. These types of devices have been around a long time. They are used in restaurant, hospitals, and water-purification facilities. There are many other competing brands with similar products. Most of those are targeted for industrial and medical uses, but many could work well for home use.

Someone told me if the bird flu hits, to hang plastic with duck tape on all windows and doors, to reduce the risk of it coming in your apartment. Could this be considered a true statement?

You should not seal up your entire home. This will not really help prevent catching the flu and could actually cause you to get sick. The air in your home usually contains much higher levels of chemicals and micro-organisms. Getting fresh air into your home is essential for good health.

However, there is a use for sealing up a single room in your home. If you have a person sick with the bird flu in your home, you would want to create and airborne isolation room to treat the person in. In this type of room, using plastic and duck tape is a good way to prevent the virus from traveling through the air circulation system in the home. Read the airborne isolation room article above for more details.

The only way you will catch the virus is from contact with it. It won't just float through the air and mysteriously infect people.

Airborne infection will only be a worry if you come into contact with the virus from an infected surface, sick person (or animal), or fecal matter (like on a chicken farm).

Avoid close contact with sick people. Close contact is considered closer than about 5 feet. That is the range that the virus can travel through the air when someone sneezes or coughs. One can catch it by picking it up from surfaces that a sick person may have coughed or sneezed on, or touched with their hands. If you touch an infected surface then touch your mouth, eyes, nose, or ears you could become infected. That is why it is important to keep surfaces clean in your home and use hand sanitizers like Purell often throughout the day.