1
USAID
Avian Influenza Program
Avian Influenza Messaging Concepts
Draft – January 2006
Audience
Poultry
Farmers/Other
Farmers
Background
Sample Messages
Basic farm biosecurity should be
communicated (e.g., steps to prevent
transmission of avian flu and protect
your farm).
Avian flu is a dangerous disease that can
kill all poultry on a farm, and can spread
rapidly to other farms and to the whole
country.
Points to keep in mind:
 Farmers may not be aware that
birds infected with AI do not
always have obvious symptoms
(and many of the symptoms are
not specific to AI).
 Some farmers may not realize that
all kinds of birds can be infected
with AI.
 Many farmers care about how they
are perceived in their community,
and value community spirit.
 The main barrier to implementing
many of these preventive steps is
cost, especially for subsistence
farmers. Many farmers do not
have the resources to build
separate, enclosed areas for their
poultry.
You can protect your farm and your
community from avian influenza by
taking precautions.
Be careful -- Ducks can have avian flu
and not look sick.
All kinds of birds can get avian flu –
chickens, ducks, geese, quails, turkeys,
pigeons, wild birds and even pet birds.
Always consider that avian flu can come
– even if there has not yet been an
outbreak in your area.
Watch for some of the signs of avian flu
in your poultry – sudden death,
sleepiness, dark/red/blue combs and
wattles, loss of appetite, laying softshelled eggs, fast breathing, diarrhea,
fever, and bleeding.
Keep avian flu away - Keep your chickens separated from
your ducks.
 Protect your chickens and ducks by
always keeping them in a fenced
area or enclosed building, away
from other animals and wild birds.
 Keep new poultry separate from
other poultry for at least 2 weeks.
 Always keep chickens and ducks in
enclosed areas.
 Clean feces from the yard every day.
1
This product was produced by the Academy for Educational Development under contract number GHS-I-00-0300036, Task Order 1 for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It does not necessarily
reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.



Burn or bury feathers and other
waste away from the farmyard.
Allow manure to decompose for
several weeks to allow any virus to
die before using it as fertilizer.
Keep poultry in good health so they
are less likely to get sick.
Keep avian flu off your property – don’t
bring other animals, such as piglets,
chicks or ducklings, from another farm.
Protect your flock -- Avoid visiting other
poultry farms; you may carry the virus
home on your clothing or shoes.
Don’t take chances. If your poultry does
not sell at the market, wait at least two
weeks before you return it to the rest of
your flock.
Human protection from AI should be
communicated. This includes good
hygiene practices, washing/disinfecting
clothing/shoes worn in the farmyard,
and using protective gear when in
contact with infected animals or when
cleaning the farmyard.
Points to keep in mind:
 Children as well as adults need to
follow these protective measures.
Because it is more difficult for
adults to control child
behaviors/practices, it has been
recommended that children be
kept away from poultry/eggs
altogether, if possible.
 Most of these are low-cost
precautions.
.
With regard to reporting sick birds/die
offs, farmers should understand what
and when to report sick birds/sudden
deaths, and the importance of
reporting.
*Depending on the area, others who
should be informed of AI cases (aside
For the time being, do not sell or give
away any animals, eggs, or manure from
your farm.
You can take simple steps to protect
yourself and your family from avian flu.
Protect your family - Sweep the farmyard every day,
ideally wearing a mask so you don’t
get sick.
 Always wash your hands with soap
before and after handling poultry.
 Wash your farm equipment every
day.
 Remove your shoes/sandals and
clothing before you go indoors.
You and your family should always
wash and brush your shoes and sandals
when leaving the farmyard – and
especially before going indoors.
Keep children and pregnant women
away from birds and collecting eggs if
possible – this includes pet birds if they
are not exclusively kept indoors.
Don’t take chances -- If your poultry
dies, you should suspect AI and contact
the paravet* immediately.
Report sick or dead birds immediately –
the sooner the problem is addressed, the
sooner you can get back to work safely
raising your poultry.
from veterinary paraprofessionals)
include agriculture extension workers,
animal health worker, local authority,
village chief, chief of commune)
Points to keep in mind:
 It has been often-reported that
farmers are hesitant to report sick
or dead poultry because of the
economic repercussions of having
their entire flock culled,
quarantined, etc.
If you see one or more birds that look
sick, take them out of the flock and place
them in a closed cage. Then contact the
paravet (or other authorities)
immediately.
Protect your community -- Contacting
the authorities immediately will prevent
the virus from spreading to other farms
in your neighborhood.
Do not prepare sick or dead poultry for
eating – you run the risk of getting
infected by avian flu while preparing the
poultry.
Do not throw dead birds in the river or
pond, and don’t leave them in the yard.
Culling – farmers should understand
why it is important for
infected/exposed poultry to be culled.
Points to keep in mind:
 Messages should be sympathetic,
as the economic repercussions of
culling for many farmers are
devastating.
 Instructions for humane culling
should be communicated in light
of reports of inhumane practices.
Vaccination – Farmers should
understand the benefits of vaccination,
what birds can get vaccinated, how
vaccinations will be carried out, and
whether there are any side effects.
Emergency administrative measures –
farmers should be aware of issues such
as quarantine, market closures, or bans
on cockfighting.
Possible human cases – under a worstcase scenario, farmers should know the
human manifestations of avian flu, and
what to do if where to go, caregiver
protective measures).
General Public
Overall risk reduction/disease
prevention and control messages
When preparing dead birds for disposal,
always wear protective equipment or
clothing, and place the dead birds into a
bag.
Avian influenza does not just affect you
and your farm – it affects your entire
community. That’s why it’s important to
cull your sick poultry.
You have a responsibility to protect your
family and neighbors – cull your infected
poultry in a humane manner.
If you raise poultry for a living, consider
vaccinating them against avian flu. This
will keep them – and your community –
safe from avian flu.
When buying poultry, ask your vendor if
birds were vaccinated.
Be safe – do not attend cock fighting
competitions.
Be prepared – know the signs of avian
flu.
If you think you or a member of your
family is sick with avian flu, contact a
health care provider immediately.
There are several simple steps you can
take to protect yourself and your family
should be communicated to the general
public.
Points to keep in mind:
 Research has shown that, even
though there may be high levels of
awareness of avian flu in the
general public, preventive
measures may not be as well
known.
The public should understand the
disease prevention and control
precautions they can take when visiting
backyard farms or other areas where
poultry is kept.
Foods – People should be encouraged
to follow good hygienic practices and
safe food preparation practices (e.g.,
cooking everything to 70degrees C in
all parts of the food, no runny yolks,
no ‘pink’ meat).
Media/Journalists
The media is often in the position of
reinforcing the messages to the general
public. In many areas, the media are
the most popular/accessible/reliable
source of information.
Because the situation with AI can
change so quickly, there is the
possibility of erroneous or conflicting
information being disseminated. Thus
it is important for the media to confirm
that information being reported is upto-date and correct.
Points to keep in mind:
 Communication failures (such as
reporting erroneous information)
undermines public trust and
compliance.
from avian influenza.
Take precautions any time you are in
contact with birds – some birds such as
ducks can be infected even when they
don’t look sick.
Controlling the spread of the avian flu
virus in our animals is the best way to
keep us safe and healthy.
Be safe –
 If you visit a farm or yard where
poultry is kept, adults and children
should wash their hands with soap;
and brush or disinfect their hands,
shoes, sandals, and wheels of
bicycles and motorbikes before they
leave.
 Don’t let children play with poultry.
 Don’t handle poultry unless
absolutely necessary.
Be safe –
 Properly cook all poultry, eggs and
duck blood pudding before eating it.
(Do not eat undercooked poultry or
eggs.)
 Always wash your hands with soap
and water after you handle or
prepare ducks or chickens.
 Do not drink or eat raw duck or
duck’s blood. You could get sick
from avian influenza.
 Avoid giving or receiving live
chickens or ducks as gifts.
[Many of the same messages intended
for farmers and general public could also
be communicated to the media.]
Make sure you get your story correct –
contact government (or health)
authorities to make sure you have correct
and updated information on avian flu.
Government
Information
Officials
The media will be turning to
government information officials for
up-to-date, reliable information. In
many countries, they are primary
providers of news developments to the
media.
Government officials should always
know their government’s avian flu
response strategy and have some
talking points handy for inquiries they
get from the media and others.
Agricultural
Health Officials
Points to keep in mind:
 As with the media, erroneous or
delayed information from
government officials undermines
public trust and compliance.
 Basic risk communication
guidelines should be followed as
much as possible. These include
establishing trust among the
public; announcing new
developments in a candid,
comprehensive and timely manner
(do not delay); using easily
understood, complete and accurate
language; understanding the
public’s pre-existing beliefs and
knowledge; and integrating
communications with related risk
analysis and risk management
plans.
Surveillance – ag health officials need
to setting up reporting systems and
ensure that they are followed.
Your country is counting on you to help
protect them from avian influenza.
Communicate with health and
agriculture officials regularly so that you
have the most current information on
avian flu.
Ensure the public trust -- communicate
clearly, regularly and comprehensively.
You can empower farmers and others in
your community to prevent and contain
the spread of avian flu. Your actions can
protect them from both disease and
economic loss.
[Many of the same messages intended
for farmers and general public are
applicable here.]
It is important to work together with
farmers to protect farms, poultry and
people.
Make sure that farmers know when and
how they should report sick or dead
poultry.
Culling – the main goal is to find ways
to persuade farmers to cull when
necessary. The officials should also be
aware of any compensation policies for
farmers whose animals are culled (and
whether they are different for
commercial vs. subsistence farmers).
There are also preventive/risk
reduction messages that should be
communicated to ag health officials or
The faster you work to eliminate the
avian flu virus from a farm, the faster the
farmer will be able to restart raising
poultry.
Stop the spread of avian influenza –
make sure farmers cull their sick birds.
Protect yourself, protect the community  Wear proper protective equipment
such as masks, glasses, gloves and
boots.
 Make sure all equipment used to
cull birds is disposed of properly, or
disinfected and stored away from
anyone else who is carrying out the
culling.
Community
Leaders and
Community
Organizations
Vaccination – Ag health officials need
to be able to talk knowledgeably to
farmers about vaccination of their
poultry.
Community leaders and organizations
are often the only source of
information for farmers and others,
especially in rural areas.
Thus, it is important that they have
accurate information on avian flu and
on the protective measures that people
in their community can take.
other equipment.
Make sure the farmer
 Collects and destroys all blood and
other waste by burning or burying it
away from wells, ponds or animals.
 Burns or buries items that have
come in contact with infected birds.
 Washes, brushes and disinfects
buildings and grounds where
infected birds were kept.
Get the facts about how avian influenza
is spread.
You can help control the spread of the
avian flu virus and protect your
community.
Make sure the people in your community
understand how to protect themselves
and their families against avian
influenza.
[Messages suggested for farmers and the
general public could be used here.]
Health care workers must understand
Health
Officials/Workers how avian flu affects the human
population – especially with regard to
symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and so
forth. They also need to protect
themselves from infectious disease
including AI by using protective
equipment.
Always use protective equipment, but
especially when working with people
who might have been exposed to avian
influenza. This includes gloves and
masks.
Know the signs of avian flu -- fever,
respiratory symptoms, and/or eye
infections within one week of possibly
being exposed to birds or areas
potentially contaminated with avian flu.
If you suspect someone has avian
influenza, a laboratory test is needed to
confirm infection in humans.
Educate yourself on the signs, symptoms
and treatment of avian influenza.