BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The bird flu, or avian influenza, has the potential to become an epidemic, but there’s certainly no need to panic. Here is some information to help you better understand and prevent bird flu.

Avian influenza is an infection caused by certain new strains of the influenza virus that live in the intestines of birds. Most don’t affect people. However, some subtypes can infect humans. The best defense against catching bird flu is an easy one: wash your hands. Frequently washing your hands with soap and hot water keeps a variety of bacteria and viruses at bay. And although no evidence exists of transmission through undercooked poultry or eggs, for any poultry-transmitted diseases, its best to thoroughly cook your eggs, chicken or other poultry. Also be sure to clean yourself and keep your cutlery sanitized after working with raw or partially cooked poultry.

While there’s no vaccine against this particular virus at the moment, it’s still a good idea to get a flu shot, as the fear right now is that a human influenza virus and a bird flu virus could combine to form a more potent one.

(Source: cntv.com)