Document Text
--- Document: Avian Flu Fact Sheet Document ---
Dairy Workers Are at Risk for
H5N1 Bird Flu
How to Protect Yourself from the Virus at Work
Aprons or coveralls
that will keep you
dry.
Wash your hands right away after working with cows, handling sick or dead
animals, and before you take any breaks. Wash for at least 20 seconds with soap
and water, then rinse and dry.
1.
2. DO NOT touch your face, nose, mouth, or eyes while working with cows or
touching anything that cows or their milk have touched.
3. DO NOT eat food with dirty hands or gloves without washing your hands first or
using hand sanitizer.
4. DO NOT drink raw milk or eat products made with raw milk (like some types of
queso fresco) that have not been pasteurized.
5. Use Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Your employer should give you:
N-95 face mask
or a respirator
that covers your
nose and mout
h completely to st
op you from breath
ing in droplets that
may have the virus.
Avian influenza H5N1, also known as bird flu, is a very contagious virus that normally makes
birds sick. Recently, the virus has changed and now it is making cows and people sick.
People who work with cows are at higher risk of getting sick from bird flu.
How do people get sick?
We do not know how the bird flu is spreading from cows to humans, but we do know
that sick cows have a lot of the virus in their milk. Cows can also spread the virus
through their spit, feces, and other body fluids. It’s important to be very careful
around cows and milk that has not been pasteurized (heated up enough to kill any
viruses or germs).
Learn how to protect yourself from this virus!
Take these steps to protect yourself from getting sick with bird flu if you work with cows:
What can you do to protect yourself from bird flu?
Rubber boots
and waterproof gloves
to keep your hands
and feet dry.
Safety goggles
or face shields
to stop milk from
splashing in your
face.
Single-use head
or hair cover
to protect your
ears.
When you go to get tested:
Your doctor or nurse can check to see if you have the flu by using a
cotton swab in your throat, nose, or eyes.
If you have flu, they will do another test with the cotton swab to see
if you have bird flu or a human flu. Your doctor can give you medicine
to help with your symptoms if you have any type of flu.
If your test results come back showing that you have bird flu, your
doctor or nurse will give you more information about next steps, which may include staying home from work and gatherings until your symptoms are gone.
Stay healthy!
Protect yourself, watch for symptoms,
and remember you have the right to get tested for bird flu.
If you do not have health insurance, you can ask your health center
or local pharmacy for any discounts to help you cover the cost.
To get connected to a health center near you where you can get tested,
contact Call for Health helpline at +1 (800) 377-9968
or through WhatsApp at +1 (737) 414-5121
Open your phone camera over the squared QR code and scan!
If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to go to a health center
or hospital to be tested for bird flu.
How can you find out if you have bird flu?
What symptoms should you look for?
It’s important to seek medical care if you start feeling sick with these symptoms:
*Please remember to tell the doctor or nurse that you work with animals
like cows or poultry!
Fever (temperature of 100° F or 37.8° C or more)
Chills
Stomach and body pain
Cough
Red or swollen eyes
Difficulty breathing