The respondents to our questionnaire exhibited higher compliance with recommendations of the WHO to avoid spread of avian influenza through food [6] , such as hand washing and using protective gloves, when compared with the findings reported in two previous surveys about food-borne diseases. In one study only 20.8% of respondents claimed that they used protective gloves, 53.9% reported washing hands before and after touching raw and unwrapped food, and 50.4% reported using soap to wash hands [20] . In the other one respectively 68.7% and 66.2% of food handlers routinely washed their hands before and after handling any food [21] . As we hypothesized, in accordance with a previous study, knowledge influences behavior [8] . Our survey indicates a significant association between those who fail to wash hands and to use gloves and the lack of knowledge that these are standard hygienic practices to avoid spreading of the virus through food. In addition, it is notable that the main source of information was the media and not qualified healthcare representatives. It has been observed that our results confirmed the hypothesis that those who received information from health professionals and scientific journals had higher relevant compliance than those who did not receive information from these sources. These findings support the importance for media campaigns to implement educational and policy strategies and to increase patient education by medical professionals in the context of routine medical care.