Follow Biosecurity Practices
In light of the recent concern over an avian flu outbreak, poultry workers should know and follow biosecurity practices to prevent the introduction of avian influenza and other diseases into a poultry flock. An understanding of how infection can be spread is important for both effective biosecurity and worker safety and health practices.

Employers should:

• Keep an "all in, all-out" philosophy of flock management, where all the birds enter and leave the facility on the same days and the facility is disinfected between groups of birds.
• Protect poultry flocks from coming into contact with wild or migratory birds. Keep poultry away from any source of water that may have been contaminated by wild birds.
• Permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the operation.
• Provide clean clothing and disinfection facilities for employees.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriages) entering and leaving the farm.
• Do not loan to, or borrow equipment or vehicles from other operations.
• Avoid visiting other poultry operations. If you do visit another operation or live-bird market, change footwear and clothing before working with your own flock.
• Do not bring birds from slaughter channels, especially live-bird markets, back to the operation.
• Use disinfectant mats with a 1:10 bleach/water solution or other proven solution that kills the avian flu virus.

Depending on temperature and moisture conditions, avian influenza viruses can survive in the environment for weeks. However, they are generally sensitive to most detergents and disinfectants and are inactivated by heating and drying. Contact with organic material such as dust, dirt, litter and manure can decrease the effectiveness of some disinfectants, and thus the possibility persists that viruses will survive. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered products that have a claim of being effective against influenza viruses should provide some measure of activity against avian influenza A viruses.

For more information, see the technical pages PPE to Protect Yourself from Avian Flu and Avian Flu Signs of Infection.

It's important to disinfect boots that are worn on and off the operation.

Contaminated clothing should be washed separate from other clothing.

It's important to wash your hands frequently to prevent the spread of Avian Flu.