Safeguards include avoiding raw milk and raw poultry; taking extra care with animals RIVERSIDE - Riverside University Health System (RUHS) - Public Health recommends precautions to prevent Avian influenza (bird flu) infection as commercial agriculture and wildlife exposures increase.Bird flu, or Avian influenza, is a virus that is spreading through wild birds worldwide. It is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows. In Riverside County, 23 dairy and poultry farms including one backyard flock have tested positive for bird flu. At this time no human cases have been identified in the county.Bird flu is spread from infected cows, birds, and other animals to people in a variety of ways. These include:By breathing in dust or droplets with the virus Touching your eyes