Protecting Yourself and your Household

BVD spreads through direct contact with body fluids. These are the protective actions that break the chain of transmission:

✅ Wash hands frequently — with soap and clean water, or alcohol-based hand rub:
• After caring for anyone who is sick
• After using the toilet or latrine
• After touching any potentially contaminated surface • After contact with wild animals or their products.

✅ Avoid all direct physical contact with people showing any BVD symptoms (fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue).

✅ Do not handle dead bodies of people who may have died from BVD. Bodies remain highly infectious after death. Visit nearest health facility BEFORE anyone touches the body.

✅ Do not eat bushmeat (bats, monkeys, forest antelope) during the outbreak — these animals can carry the virus.

✅ If you must care for someone sick: wear gloves and protective clothing. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing protective items.

Click NEXT to learn what to do when you suspect a case.