Karnataka - Bidar   

`Eat chicken after boiling it for 15 minutes'

Staff Correspondent

Bidar: Poultry eaters need to be cautious. But there is no need to panic, says K.N. Pratap Kumar, Dean of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries University.

He told The Hindu that people can safely eat chicken after boiling it for 15 minutes. It is not advisable to keep uncooked chicken in refrigerators. Eggs cleaned and boiled or made into omelettes are safe. "Bird flu spreads from secretions and droppings of chicken. Those who work in poultry farms or abattoirs are at a greater risk than those who eat chicken," said Dr. Kumar.

The disease infects human beings when the virus develops new strains.

When migratory birds visit water bodies, they pass on the virus to ducks. Ducks are not infected. But ducks that mix with chickens spread the disease.

The virus kills the birds within 24 hours of infection.

Affected birds lose feathers and develop wounds on their legs.

A single bird infected with the virus can affect the entire flock. Dr. Kumar said reduced immunity among chicken has made them susceptible to such diseases.

Native breeds of chicken lay around 60 eggs a year. But thanks to the advancements in the field of science, chickens now lay 300 eggs a year.

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`Eat chicken after boiling it for 15 minutes'

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