SAN LUIS -- Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag on Wednesday, August 16, reminded Kapampangans to avoid eating poultry products just to “show” to the public that they are safe to consume.
Tayag said that while residents and local officials of San Luis and nearby towns are proving the safety and quality of chickens, ducks and eggs by sharing photos of them eating on social media, the public is allegedly taking the other side of the story.
“Huwag po ninyong gagawin na kakain kayo ng manok o itlog para lang patunayan na ligtas silang kainin dahil habang ginagawa ninyo ‘yan, mas lalo lang silang naniniwala na may mali sa mga produkto (Let’s not eat chicken or eggs just to show people that it’s safe to do so. They’d believe something is wrong with the product),” he said.
While the aim is to help remove the fear and scare of the public about bird flu, Tayag said that advocates might unconsciously add up to the problem due to the “shows” and “eating demonstrations.”
Tayag meanwhile, said the DOH is already disseminating information that poultry products are safe to eat as long as they are cooked properly since the bird flu virus is not easily transmitted to through consumption alone.
“Mahirap pong makahawa ang strain ng bird flu sa tao. Kaya nga po siya tinawag na bird flu, kasi sakit siya ng manok o ng mga hayop na may pakpak, hindi para sa tao (The bird flu’s strain cannot contaminate humans. That’s why it’s called bird flu because it’s the disease of winged animals, not humans),” he said.
However, Tayag said that poultry farm workers and those who unknowingly dressed bird flu-infected chickens are still prone to virus infection.
“Kaya ‘yun ang binabantayan at minomonitor natin. At inaadvise namin sa DOH na huwag lalapit kung walang protective gears para din sa inyong kalusugan (We are monitoring it. We in DOH advise not to go near chickens without protective gears for your health),” he said.