How to Explain Bird Flu to Kids

Since children are particularly susceptible to contracting the bird flu, as well as more likely to suffer serious complications if they contract it, it is important to explain the disease to your kids. While flu shots can help protect against it, you should explain the risks to your kids, especially if you are traveling to a region where the disease is relatively common. Read on to learn how to explain the bird flu to kids.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Understand that while the bird flu is more common in China and Southeast Asia than North America, your kids still need to be told about the risks. Every year, scores of dead birds in North America are found to be carrying the virus. Many more birds are living carriers.
2. Explain to your kids that while birds aren't something to be afraid of, they need to be careful around them because birds can make them sick. Make sure your kids understand that they shouldn't touch a dead bird under any circumstances--or any dead animal, for that matter. Keep an eye open for bird droppings collecting around your home, and clean them up promptly if you spot any. They are a key transmitter of the virus.
3. Make sure your kids know not to put their hands in or near their mouths, especially after they have been playing outside. Back it up by teaching your children proper hand-washing techniques and making sure they understand the importance of hand sanitation. Proper hand washing includes lathering for at least 30 seconds and cleaning under the fingernails.
4. Take the time to explain to your kids that they need to be extra careful around birds if you are heading to a part of the world where avian influenza is a bigger problem. Keep a careful eye on your kids in public places, as poultry is commonly sold on the street in Southeast Asia and China (where bird flu is more common), and pigeons are very populous there.
5. Avoid telling your children frightening truths about the disease unnecessarily. While it is true that kids suffer serious and fatal cases of the bird flu with much greater frequency than healthy adults, you should instead choose language that is more positive but still drives the message home. Tell your kids "they could get very sick" rather than "they could die," for example.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch where your children play at all times. They are far more likely than an adult to come into physical contact with birds and bird excrement that may carry the avian influenza virus.