Preventing avian influenza in humans: the role of simple public health interventions.

An influenza pandemic due to influenza virus A H5N1 subtype is considered highly likely. Strategies for prevention and control of a pandemic include actions that need to be taken by the national authorities and communities. The availability of a vaccine and antiviral drugs in sufficient quantities for billions of people in the developing world is doubtful. Simple cost effective public health interventions can significantly reduce the risk of contracting infection. These interventions include precautions that will prevent people from contracting infection from sick or dying poultry and their products, human cases and a contaminated environment. Specific measures are based on principles of cutting short the transmission of infection in humans and inactivating the virus at its source. The paper describes context specific actions that can be implemented in both rural and urban settings by the communities themselves.