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DOCTOR WARNS AGAINST SPREAD OF BIRD FLU

Dr Uchil, who is a special physician at Welcare Ambulatory Care Centre at Knowledge Village told City Times that people in the UAE and across the globe are currently refraining from consumption of chicken, following fear of the bird flu virus infection being passed on to human. In fact, he disclosed that “the H5N1 virus which causes bird flu is killed within 15 minutes when the poultry is cooked at 60 degrees centigrade. And if cooked at 100 degrees, the virus gets killed within minutes,” Dr Uchil noted, ruling out any strains of the bird flu virus remaining in cooked poultry which is affected.

"The popular belief that the spread of bird flu to humans from consumption of cooked poultry is therefore ruled out,” the doctor stated, however, warning people from handling the raw meat of poultry affected by the H5N1 virus. “People should be careful in touching other food items, pots and plates after handling raw meat of the affected poultry without washing their hands with soap and water. Chances of the virus spreading to humans through uncooked food items touched after handling raw meat of affected poultry, or through the remains of the virus on plates and pots is definitely present.”

Meanwhile, Dr Uchil ruled out the spread of the disease in humans in the UAE, following stringent measures already being in place by the government. The UAE is probably among the few countries which has not only imposed a ban on import of birds and poultry from countries that have reported any outbreak of the disease in their respective countries, but has raised enough awareness on the subject.

Dr Uchil pointed out that in the wake of the bird flu pandemic, which has been in the news over the last three years, “people should recall that the bird flu outbreak is not new. There have been several such outbreaks in the past, but such epidemics have not been life-threatening compared to human influenza epidemics in the past. Recent statistics show that since the bird flu disease outbreak was reported across the globe since the last three years, some 150 people are reported to have contracted the virus from the birds. Of these, around 80 human mortality is reported.”

According to the doctor: ‘The UAE is currently faced with an epidemic of common cold. People affected by this virus should refrain from attending office or visit places, which have large public gatherings in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading to others. Meanwhile, the elderly and those already susceptible to any kind of infection due to low immunity should take special care and also take influenza vaccine specially before the onset of winter, as a good precaution.”