Fact check: COVID-19 found in chicken in Madhya Pradesh? Here is the truth
By Team Newsable | First Published Jun 20, 2020, 12:51 PM ISTThe small poultry farmers across the country are reeling after poultry meat sales crashed by 80% following false claims that chickens are carriers of the coronavirus
Bhopal: The Animal Husbandry Department of Madhya Pradesh has termed as “baseless, the reports doing rounds on social media that coronavirus (COVID-19) was found in chicken in some poultry farms in the state.
It has also made it clear that consumption of chicken was completely safe and does not cause infection.
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The department issued this clarification after a news report was circulated on social media, which claimed that the health department has tested poultry chicken in some districts in the state and found them to be coronavirus infected.
“Director of the animal husbandry department, RK Rokde, citing a letter issued by the state health department in this regard, has refuted the claim made in the news report that coronavirus was found in chicken,” a Public Relations Department official said.
According to the official, Rokde has made it clear that the consumption of poultry products was completely safe.
“The animal husbandry department said that this news is completely misleading and baseless. No guidelines or warning letters have been issued by the health department regarding chicken or closure of poultry farms,” the official added.
The news report had claimed that sampling of poultry birds for coronavirus was done by the health department in Bhopal, Gwalior, Dewas, Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Badnagar, Sehore, Barwani and Mhow.
“However, Rokde has said that no such sampling was carried out at any place in the state and no sign of coronavirus infection was spotted among the poultry birds so far,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated on its website that meat products can be safely consumed if they are thoroughly cooked.
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