Eat chicken, ignore the rest!

It is strange to see the ministry of health and family welfare issue ads promoting the consumption of chicken and eggs during the last week. Not that I have anything against the eating of chicken or eggs, or for saying that they are safe to eat if cooked properly in order to ally fears of bird flu contamination. But when, in reality, the threat of bird flu is very much a real one, should not the government be issuing messages of public health instead? I cannot understand how it is the government8217;s job to promote poultry consumption, when this can and should be done by the various poultry or industry associations.

The transmission of bird flu takes place from direct contact with the birds, their droppings, feathers, and so on. The WHO says that it is the 8220;wet markets8221;, where live birds are sold, or birds are slaughtered, which are at greatest risk and all reported cases of transmission to humans or animals have occurred. Wet markets abound in India. Everyone has seen them, and they are mostly abysmally unhygienic, with de-feathering or slaughtering being done in the open amidst the waste. The organised poultry industry is less than 3 per cent of the overall market, and the rest takes place in lanes and alleyways of our crowded cities. Also, merely because we in India have not as yet encountered any human case so far, is no guarantee that this may not occur, nor can any 8220;expert8221; say with any certainty that the virus cannot or will not mutate, or possibly find a form of human-to-human transmission.

Likewise do people know that the virus can be transmitted even from pigeon or other bird droppings, or from migratory birds? If transmission does take place, the projected mortality rate is frightening. In short the threat is a very real one, and we need a great deal of vigilance.

Against such a backdrop, what does the government do? Issue messages to promote poultry consumption, when they should really be issuing messages on public health. The messages can urge people to report unhygienic markets, tell them what to do in case they see anything unusual like dead birds, or even allay people8217;s fears by providing the right information.

It is a sign of the times that even state bodies are more concerned with tourism and the economic impact on the industry, forgetting their role as one of transparent public health protectors. The state is responsible for the health and safety of all its citizen 8212; and not if they eat chicken or not. Caution is not the same as causing panic, and good public messages can be preventive.