Can avian flu be transmitted via bedding filled with feathers and down?

No, avian flu cannot be transmitted via duvets and pillows because all the down and feathers are washed straight after plucking in the country of origin and dried before they are exported.

The H5N1 virus, like all influenza viruses, is surrounded by a lipid coating (a layer of fat). This coating is destroyed if it is exposed to heat or to drying with the result that the virus is then no longer infectious. Feathers and down are washed and dried at temperatures in excess of 100°C straight after plucking to render them germ-free. Only then are they transported and processed. It is practically impossible that a virus should survive this process. For this reason, bedding filled with down and feathers is free of avian flu.