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Eggs, chicken safe for consumption: NECC

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, FEB. 21. Eggs and chicken from Indian poultry farms are safe, said the Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Poultry Sciences, Kerala Agricultural University, S. Jalaluddin.

Addressing a press meet here on Friday, Dr. Jalaluddin said the outbreak of avian flu or bird flu in some South-East Asian countries had not affected poultry products in India.

P. Selvaraj, vice-president, Broiler Coordination Committee, and zonal chairman, National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), and R. Laxmanan, president, South zone, NECC, also spoke at the meet, which was aimed at creating awareness regarding eggs and chicken.

The Government had banned import of birds, bird feed, vaccines and other related items to minimise the risk of infection, Dr. Jalaluddin said.

Since poultry exports of the countries affected by avian flu has dropped, Indian poultry products had gained acceptance in the international market. According to Dr. Selvaraj, egg exports from Namakkal had increased by 50 per cent. Orders have gone up to 15 lakh eggs from the earlier 10 lakh eggs per day and it is expected to go up to 20 lakhs.

Dispelling fears over the fact that bird flu had been reported in Pakistan too, Dr. Jalauddin said that there was no cause for fear since the flu reported there was less severe. Birds do get the flu from time to time but Avian Influenza virus which manifests in different strains is most difficult to control because the virus is mutagenic. The influenza virus A has 15 different antigens of which two strains are responsible for the present crisis in poultry in the South East Asian countries.

The lifespan of the virus is only four to five days in air and it can travel a distance of only two to three kilometres.

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