Students conduct nationwide bird-flu campaign
The Indonesian Youth Forum, sponsored by the Agriculture Ministry, is conducting a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about bird flu.
The campaign began on 1 December, with the aim of encouraging people in areas in Indonesia, not to worry about bird flu and to eat chicken. The World Health Organisation says that chicken and other poultry are safe to eat if cooked well, explaining that the virus’ are killed when the meat is properly cooked and nothing is left raw.
“We want to meet consumers, chicken traders, chicken enthusiasts and slaughterhouse managers to share tips and information so they can protect themselves against bird flu,” forum founder Elmir Amien told The Jakarta Post at Cikupa market, and chairmen of the Indonesian Farmers Council.
“Since the country’s first case of bird flu was reported in 2003, the disease has only killed 53 of the 76 people infected, but the poultry industry has incurred huge financial losses because exaggerated media reports have made people too scared to eat eggs and chicken,” he said.
He said the rate of animal-protein consumption in the country had decreased to four kilograms per capita per year, as a result of many months of intense media coverage of avian influenza.
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