Eating Chicken in the Middle of the H5N1 Bird Flu Case, Is it Safe or Not?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The emergence of cases of H5N1 bird flu (Clade 2.3.4.4b) both abroad and in South Kalimantan has made this topic hotly debated. One of them is related to the safety of eating chicken.

Several people said they were worried about consuming chicken when H5N1 bird flu cases were found. So, is it still safe to eat chicken now?

Former Director of Communicable Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Asia, Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama revealed that eating chicken under current conditions is still permissible and safe.

“Of course it’s completely safe to eat chicken right now,” Tjandra said in the webinar H5N1 Avian Flu Disease Precautions with the Indonesian Lung Doctors Association (PDIP), Friday (3/3/2023).

A similar opinion was expressed by the Management of the Indonesian Pulmonary Specialist Doctors Association (PDPI), Dr. dr. Erlina Burhan, MSc, SpP (K) who was also present. According to him, people do not need to panic because of the H5N1 bird flu, let alone avoid eating chicken and other poultry products.

The reason, Erlina revealed, the consumption of chicken and other poultry products is still permitted and safe. However, make sure everything is well cooked until completely cooked before consuming it.

“Keep eating chicken, eggs and other poultry products as long as they are cooked and cooked. So don’t say don’t eat chicken and other things, that’s really wrong,” said Erlina.

“So you don’t need it, I really like chicken. Grilled chicken, fried chicken, chicken rendang. It’s a hassle if you don’t eat chicken. So it’s okay, you don’t have to eat it. You can eat chicken, go to various restaurants, the important thing is the product. It’s cooked thoroughly,” he added.