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What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza, or “bird flu”, is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans.

Two main risks for human health:
1. The virus passes from poultry/swine to humans, resulting in very severe disease, an unusually aggressive clinical course, with rapid deterioration and high fatality. Primary viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure are common. The 2009 virus strain causes normal symptoms of influenza, such as fever, coughing, body aches, chills, fatigue and headache, but also diarrhea and vomiting.
2. The virus could – if given enough opportunities – change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person. Such a change could mark the start of a global outbreak (a pandemic).

How do people become infected?
Direct contact with infected poultry and swine, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is presently considered the main route of human infection. Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth.

Prevention of human to human transmission
Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days.
Poultry products can also be safely consumed provided these items are properly cooked and properly handled during food preparation. The virus is sensitive to heat. Normal temperatures used for cooking (70oC in all parts of the food) will kill the virus. People should make sure that all parts of the poultry are fully cooked (no “pink” parts) and that eggs, too, are properly cooked (no “runny” yolks).

For more information you can check out Swine influenza on Wikipedia or Avian influenza on World Health Organization.