"Bird influenza is not transmitted through well-cooked food as the H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat," Professor Riaz Qureshi, Chairman, Department of Family Medicine, Aga Khan University (AKU) informed the audience at a public health awareness programme.
He was addressing AKU's Signs, Symptoms and Care Programme held in the AKU auditorium on Saturday.
Professor Qureshi disclosed that it is safe to eat chicken and domestic birds as long as certain precautions are taken in countries currently experiencing outbreaks. He elaborated that the normal temperatures used for cooking (70'C in all parts of the food) will kill the virus. He requested the consumers to ensure that all parts of the poultry are fully cooked with no 'pink' pans left and eggs should also be properly cooked with no "runny" yolks.
Professor Qureshi also informed that if the infection spreads to humans, it can prove to be serious but certain drugs for example Tamiflu, are available for treatment. People coming in contact with a patient will also require preventive medication, he added.
He also described the most important warning signals that would indicate that a serious epidemic (pandemic) is about to start. These included detection of a number of cases with severe symptoms and signs of influenza, closely related in time and place, as this would human to human transmission is taking place, said Professor Qureshi.
Dr Mirza Ikram Ali Baig, Senior Instructor, Department of Family Medicine, Aga Khan University, provided a brief overview of Avian Influenza (bird flu). He said that bird flu is a viral disease caused by an Avian Influenza virus (H5N1) which is different from the seasonal influenza virus affecting humans.
The virus H5N1 is mainly carried by wild birds and can be transmitted to domestic birds like chickens, ducks and turkeys while pigs have also been seen to be infected, he pointed out. The virus produces overwhelming disease in domestic birds which usually die when infected. Birds transmit the virus through their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces.
The current outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, which began in Southeast Asia in mid-2003, are the largest and most severe on record. Never before in the history of this disease have so many countries been simultaneously affected, resulting in the loss of many birds. Poultry outbreaks caused by the H5N1 virus were initially reported in eight Asian nations: the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Indonesia, and China.
Dr Baig stressed that the Avian Influenza virus is not easily transmitted from infected birds to healthy humans. However, people in close contact with the infected poultry are at risk of catching the virus. Elaborating on the possibility of infection spreading to humans, he said that direct contact with infected poultry or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is presently considered the main route of human infection.-PR
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