There is a flu shot specific to the H5N1 flu virus. It's been around for a few years but did not get much attention until now, when the virus is spreading quickly among animals and getting picked up by people who work with the animals.

I don't know how much of the specific shot is available to the general public. I think that priority is given to farm workers, vets, zoo employees, etc. Maybe butchers should get priority, too.

One concern that I have is home cooking of chicken, beef, and pork. The advice is to cook to 165° with a meat thermometer. But, what about handling the meat while preparing it? How to protect counters, sinks, cutting boards, and hands?

“Treat every chicken as though it contains salmonella. … missed droplets on the counter can contain the germs and they stay alive…”

So I buy rotisserie chickens at Costco.

I use a separate cutting board that is never used for anything else. When I'm done with the board, I rinse it and then let it sit for a few minutes with a bleach solution poured over it.

I use separate utensils for meat and for vegetables, of course, while cooking and stirring. When finished, I wash my hands thoroughly, and spray 70% alcohol on the counter (even though I don't put meat directly on the counter), to sanitize it from any droplets or spills. I rinse out the sink and spray it with alcohol or wipe it with a bleach solution.

Sounds like a lot of extra work, but when you do it every time, it becomes an automatic ritual that can be done efficiently.

I had a summer job once in the deli and fast food department of a supermarket where we roasted the rotisserie chickens. We had to wear an apron and gloves. One sink was dedicated exclusively for handling the chickens. We rinsed them off there and skewered them onto rods. When they were in the rotisserie to cook, we removed and tossed the gloves and aprons. Then we had to sanitize the sink. Each chicken had to be checked with a meat thermometer before we could package it for sale. The closing crew in the evening had to take apart the rotisserie, wash and sanitize each part, spray sanitizer on the inside walls, floor, and roof of the rotisserie oven.

So I got used to following sanitation protocols at home.

I feel bad about it, all the way around.

As far as I'm aware, the typical flu virus only lasts a few minutes to a few hours outside the body.

in the air or on surfaces. I did read an article last night that mentioned 18 hours, but don't recall if it was on a surface or in the air.

Seasonal flu viruses can "live" up to 18 to 24 hours on a hard surface. They are infectious for 8 to 9 hours.

and the replies from you and hekate are also good questions.

it might be a good idea to get health information from the uk for a few years.

i thought for a while my old cat had died of bird flu, but he never had raw milk or much success hunting pigeons.

I don't know about pigeons specifically, but I read that common birds that we see in our yards, like robins, crows, bluebirds, sparrows, cardinals, etc. are not usually vulnerable to type A viruses like this one.

some of these feral felines are quite good at taking a pigeon as they take off.

i did take down my bird feeder a few years ago when a feral we called ditto thought i was luring the wrens for his breakfast.