In most striking and disturbing news of coronavirus, we have one more problem to face. While China is not really in a good situation, the fatal bird flu has also been disturbing and affecting the country really bad. China has reported a case of H5N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm in the Hunan province.

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A city in China’s central Hunan province reported that it had culled almost 18,000 chickens after an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website Saturday.

The statement didn’t say when the outbreak occurred, or when the cull happened. Hunan is next to Hubei, the epicenter of the separate coronavirus outbreak.

Avian influenza, found in a farm in Shaoyang City, killed 4,500 chickens, more than half the farm’s flock, the ministry said. The city culled almost 18,000 poultry after the outbreak. The statement said the outbreak was of a “highly pathogenic subtype” of the H5N1 flu.

Since 2003, the H5N1 avian flu has killed 455 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. While the world is still struggling with the eradication of Coronavirus, another shocker is on its way.

What is Bird Flu?

As per what Etimes has documented, The Bird flu disease, as the name suggests is a strain of the virus that affects birds including chicken, ducks and other poultry and wild birds.

This disease is also known as the H5N1 virus and causes a severe respiratory infection in birds. It is known to spread in humans through contact with infected bird feces and their other bodily secretions. The outbreak of bird flu has occurred in Hunan, which shares its borders with Hubei–the epicenter of the novel coronavirus.

The article mainly deals with the basic idea of if and whether the eggs can also lead to the spread of the virus. As we all have read above that avian influenza (bird flu) can easily spread to domestic poultry, minimizing the risk when there is consumption and/or handling of eggs. Even though there is no known case of spreading of bird flu through the consumption or cooking of eggs, it is important to remember:

1) Cook the eggs until the yolk is firm enough to be eaten

2) Avoid half-boiled or runny eggs as they are called.

3) Cook poultry thoroughly at or above 70 degree Celsius to kill the H5N1 virus

4) Wash your hands properly after using the poultry

5) Use separate dishes for boiling or preparing eggs to avoid cross-contamination

You must keep a good check on yourself. Look out for these symptoms in case you are not that sure!

1. Cough

2. Diarrhea

3. Respiratory difficulties

4. Fever (over 100.4°F)

5. Headache

6. Muscle aches

7. Malaise

8. Runny nose

If you find anything similar, rush to a doctor nearby. Taking care of ourselves is our responsibility and hence must be taken with utmost priority.

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