Ducking Bird Flu and Other Contagious Diseases

Smart personal hygiene and common sense will go a long way toward preventing the spread of most contagious diseases. Here are a few tips:

Maintain good nutrition, exercise and rest.

If you smoke, this is a good time to quit.

Keep immunizations up-to-date.

If you have a chronic disease like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, see your physician regularly.

Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water or use a 70-percent-alcohol hand-sanitizer, when water is unavailable.

When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your upper sleeve—droplets can travel 3–4 feet.

To prevent mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus, remove outdoor standing water where mosquitoes might breed.

Prevent food-borne diseases by cooking and refrigerating foods appropriately and cleaning kitchen surfaces with disinfectant and soapy water.

Don’t be a hero; when you’re sick, stay home.

— Pat Bailey

Related stories:

Introduction

Uniting Against a Possible Pandemic

The Top 10: Epidemic Hall of Infamy

Predicting Future Epidemics

A Big Look at Small Invaders

Pat Bailey writes about the agricultural and veterinary sciences for UC Davis.