As bird flu cases rise, can you eat chicken or eggs? Answer here

New Delhi : In last few days there have been many reports informing about the death of birds across several states due to Avian Influenza, or bird flu. The incidents have sent a panic wave in the nation, resulting in people boycotting chicken and chicken food items, including eggs.

As people are looking for answers to questions like is it safe to eat chicken or egg these days? Here are the answers.

Animal husbandry minister Giriraj Singh recently said in a tweet that it is safe to eat fully cooked chicken and eggs. To kill the heat-sensitive virus, experts suggest boiling eggs till the yolk and white are firm, and ensuring the meat is cooked all the way through or not pink in the center. 

Another big question is can this be transferred from humans to humans like coronavirus? Well, as far as we know, even if a person gets infected by eating contaminated meat, it is unlikely that he will transmit it to other humans.

Experts say that even if a human does get infected - as was the case in Hong Kong in 1997 when the H5N1 strain of bird flu infected 80 people and killed one - the chances of human-to-human transfer of the virus are low.

Meanwhile, to check the spread of bird flu, affected states have temporarily closed down poultry farms and also started culling infected birds.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture also met senior officials of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry to examine the availability of animal vaccines in the country.

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