While the number of Corona victims is rising every day, we now have one more reason to worry – Bird Flu. According to officials, Bird Influenza has struck various states of India including Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
What made experts worried is the current strain of infection “H5N1”, which is lethal among all the known strains. Resulting in the mass killing of birds in respective states by government officials. Experts have already warned that this could turn into a pandemic, if not prevented and controlled in an effective manner.
While Bird Flu is not something new to us, its infection can easily be passed on from birds to humans. It has ignited the fear among poultry farmers and non-vegetarian people if it’s safe to consume chicken since it can infect humans as well.
What is Bird Flu and how Is It Harmful to Humans?
Bird Flu, also known as “Avian Flu” or “Avian Influenza” is an infection that occurs naturally in birds. Since it’s a highly contagious infection it may lead to mass deaths of birds like chicken, ducks, crows, etc.
This infection can be shed through bird’s saliva, feces, nasal secretion, etc. Experts say during the recent outbreak, infection in humans was caused by the consumption of infected poultry. Though no human-to-human transmission has been recorded till now.
Some symptoms of bird flu in humans are fever, cold, sore throat, pneumonia, etc.
Do Bird flu Spead by Consuming Poultry Products?
There is almost no evidence to prove the fact that Bird Flu can be transmitted to healthy people through the consumption of poultry products like chicken & eggs. Meat or egg that is carefully washed and cooked should be considered safe to consume.
According to WHO, when a meat or poultry product is heated up, it kills all sorts of germs, viruses, bacteria, and pathogens. Hence, it’s safe to conclude that thoroughly cooked food is safe to consume.
The UN Food And Agriculture Organization suggested that one of the most efficient ways to minimize the risk is by breaking the food chain at every level.
Precautionary Measure Everyone Should Follow:
- Make sure no infected bird enters the food chain.
- Avoid eating raw poultry products like raw meat, raw egg, and even raw blood.
- Separate raw meat from cooked meat.
- Avoid using the same knife and chopping board.
- Keep your hands clean before and after handling raw chicken.
Recommendations to Cook Chicken and Eggs
Considering the sudden Bird Flu outbreak, AIIMS institute has passed guidelines to follow good hygiene practices. Consuming runny eggs is not advisable during the outbreak. The yolk of egg must be firm to be considered safe to consume.
Cooking meat at 70% Celcius is highly advisable as it kills the H5N1 strain. You must make sure that meat or egg is properly cooked before serving. Another important precaution is to wash hands with warm water after cooking as infection can also be spread by touching poultry products.
As long as you follow hygiene cooking practices, take care of your produce or source of produce, and cook it well, there is almost no reason to worry.