This week, chickens in a number of Egyptian governorates were hit by the bird flu.

The population began to panic, with a phobia of eating chicken developing in society.

Bird flu or avian influenza is a disease caused by a dangerous virus called H5N1.

It has existed for more than a century, but its lethal effect on birds only appeared for the first time in 1997 in China. The virus has been transmitted to humans in very rare cases in Asia.

In fact, there have been around 42 human fatalities in the past nine years. The main carriers of the virus are migrating birds.

They were responsible for transporting the virus to Nigeria in Africa then to Turkey and Europe last year and to Egypt and France this month.

Precautions

The disease affects birds. The poultry-rearing industry has been severely affected. Chickens which contract the virus die within 24 or 48 hours.

Affected hens stop laying eggs, become weak and die. Any birds that survive cease to be contagious 15 days after contracting the disease. Some migrating birds carry the virus without becoming ill themselves, transporting the virus across the different continents of the planet.

When the disease appears in poultry, many measures should be taken within 3km of the affected zone. All the birds should be slaughtered.

The poultry itself should be sterilized for at least 15 days, with the entry and exit of birds from the zone being restricted. Within the next 10km surrounding the affected zone, the strict supervision of all birds is recommended, with all domestic poultry and personnel being vaccinated. All vehicles entering or leaving the zone should be sterilized, with special attention being given to their tires. It has been demonstrated that the virus may live for several days on the tires of trucks and cars.

Thorough cooking

On the other hand, there is no danger from eating cooked chicken or other cooked birds. The same applies to the eggs, providing they too are thoroughly cooked. The current phobia about eating chicken is unjustified. All products of the poultry industry, frozen in bags, are safe for consumption.

The infection comes from living birds in contact with wild birds migrating from one country to another.

Families with birds should keep them away of any direct contact with migratory birds. It is also advisable to separate hens from other birds like ducks and geese. Each species should be kept in a separate location.

Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Nasr
Egyptian Gazzette
February 27th 2006