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Don’t forsake the chicken: Cooked poultry free from bird flu

by Medindia Content Team on Feb 28 2006 7:42 PM

There is heavy import restrictions due to the bird flu scare round the world. Some 20 countries have established import restrictions, including Japan and Hong Kong temporarily banning the imports of French poultry.

Due to this development World Health Organization publicly stated that cooked poultry does not transmit bird flu, with intentions to ease consumers' fears and concerns. In its statement, "The World Health Organization confirms that when poultry products are safely handled and properly cooked, humans are not at risk of acquiring H5N1 (bird flu) infection through food."

Europe's first case of bird flu on a farm was found in the Ain region of South-east France near Lyon, when Daniel Clair woke up to discover 400 of his flock of turkeys dead after one night. 11,000 turkeys were slain then and there.

The Department of the Environment Farming and Rural Affairs ordered two million doses of a bird flue vaccine, not due to arrive for several weeks.

Margaret Beckett, UK secretary of state for the environment said, "We are keeping these issues under review but there are lots of questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine and how it will mask the disease. We don't rule out the use of vaccine but there are a number of questions still to be addressed."

Dr. Perdue, of the WHO's Global Influenza Program said, "On a scale of one to 10, maybe we're midway, around four or five. But the next question is, how long does it take to get to the number six? These are very difficult questions to answer."

So eat the chicken but cook it well is the world mantra these days.

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