There are a few simple steps that can help us avoid respiratory viruses like bird flu, other ordinary strains of influenza and even the common cold.

With a current bird flu outbreak, people pay specific attention to hygiene. Almost half (47%) of Canadians cite door handles as the biggest offenders, followed by public toilet seats (46%), ATM machines (17%) and computer keyboards (7%).

"Eighty-five per cent of Canadians suffer from at least one to three colds per year," says Dr. Pettigrew. "Germs can be spread through 'respiratory droplets' via coughs and sneezes. These are easily transmitted by direct
contact or by touching contaminated surfaces. But prevention can be boiled down to three simple steps: avoid, wash and sanitize."

According to the latest medical research, 95% of viruses like the bird flu enter our bodies from contact between our fingernails and the mucous membranes of our eyes and nose. All you have to do is get virus droplets on your hands then touch your face and the cycle of virus transmission is complete.

Here are three basic recommendations for avoiding the bird flu and other respiratory viruses - it's quite simple.

1. Don't touch your face with your hands. If you don't touch your face with your fingernails you should stop the virus entering your body through the mucous membranes of your eyes or nose.

2. Wash your hands every time you cough or sneeze, visit a sick friend or family member, use the bathroom, handle money or when you touch a public place or areas where germs collect. When available, wash your hands with soap and warm water, then rub your hands vigorously together for 15 to 20 seconds (the length of the birthday song). It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs. Wash and dry your hands any time you handle live birds, raw poulty or uncooked eggs.

3. Regulary perform warm facial dips to inactivate virus cells and wash them out of your nasal passageways.Sanitize when soap and water are not available. An alcohol-based instant hand sanitizer, like Purell, is indicated to kill 99.99 per cent of the germs.



SOURCE: How To Prevent Bird Flu – The Natural Healthy Way at www.howtopreventbirdflu.com. 

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