Bird Flu in Bangladesh

The avian influenza is generally known as bird flu and now this is a very familiar term in Bangladesh.Bangladesh has about 220 million chickens and 37 million ducks. Five million people are directly employed by the poultry industry, millions of households rely on poultry production for income generation and nutrition.After bird flu broke out in several farms in Bangladesh thousands of birds were culled and army troops called out to assist police in carrying out an “intensive” monitoring . But the confusion about the prevention still remains. Should we or should we not eat bird flesh now ? And also about eating eggs.
Most often, signs and symptoms of bird flu resemble those of conventional influenza, including:

• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Muscle aches

Three or four times every century, a flu pandemic sweeps the globe, claiming millions of lives. That the flu can cause so much misery is a result of its ability to change quickly and unexpectedly, to outwit "best guess" vaccines, and to take the immune system by storm.Young children seem especially vulnerable to the virus, although some experts note that children are more likely to have contact with sick birds or to play on ground contaminated with droppings.

Some suggestion from experts about preventing bird flu:

• Steer clear of raw eggs. Because eggshells are often contaminated with bird droppings, avoid mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, ice cream, and any other foods containing raw or undercooked eggs.
• Wash well. While preparing poultry for cooking, carefully wash cutting boards and all surfaces that have come into contact with raw poultry in hot, soapy water. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling poultry and dry them with a disposable towel.
• Cook thoroughly. Cook chicken until the juices run clear, and it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 F (74 C).

As our meals depend a great deal on poultry and the government just can't abandone the poultry industry of Bangladesh to stop spreading bird flu, we all have to be careful to prevent it from attacking our near and dear ones.