VARIOUS: Shoppers at a French market continue to buy chicken despite confirmation of deadly bird flu strain at a turkey farm; China reports two new human cases of bird flu, and precautions taken at wild bird sanctuary in India

Record ID: 492296

  • Title: VARIOUS: Shoppers at a French market continue to buy chicken despite confirmation of deadly bird flu strain at a turkey farm; China reports two new human cases of bird flu, and precautions taken at wild bird sanctuary in India
  • Date: 26th February 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) WOMAN CUSTOMER ANSWERING THE QUESTION WHETHER SHE STILL EATS CHICKEN: "Of course! what would be the point of not eating chicken? Those who raise them need to make a living." (SOUNDBITE) (French) SELLER "COCO" SAYING: "Personally we have not seen a decrease in sales. The only decrease we have had are due to the skiing holidays in the region, the Lyon people are on vacation, that's it. Yesterday you saw the President eating chicken [at the agriculture fair], everyone is eating chicken, we had it this morning for breakfast, and see how we are all in very good health! And we will keep doing it!" CHICKEN STAND IN MARKET, SELLER TRYING TO GET CUSTOMERS TO BUY HIS ROAST CHICKEN (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNIDENTIFIED CUSTOMER SAYING: "We have to trust them, I have no problems with it. Of course I still eat chicken, also eggs, no problems, I trust them and don't worry at all." (WOMEN AT STALL SAYING: 'Thank you very much.') PAN ON CHICKEN ROASTING AT MARKET
  • Embargoed: 13th March 2006 12:00
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  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Health
  • Reuters ID: LVAAV6DWJR6DNQ38HWQCF51ZQTZ0
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  • Story Text: Shoppers at the market in Lyon, France, continued to buy grill-roasted chicken for dinner on Sunday (February 26, 2006) despite tests confirming the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu had struck a poultry farm in the region. Shoppers at the market, which is the largest in the region, said they were determined to continue to buy their roast chickens. Hundreds of chickens were roasting on grills at the market, and many customers said they saw no reason not to buy them. "Of course! What would be the point of not eating chicken? Those who raise them need to make a living," said one woman customer as she bought roast chicken. Said another customer: "We have to trust them, I have no problems with it. Of course I still eat chicken, also eggs, no problems, I trust them and don't worry at all." France said on Saturday (February 25) tests had confirmed the presence of the H5N1 bird flu virus at a turkey farm in the east of the country, where thousands of birds have died. It is the first case of the virus spreading to domestic farm birds in the EU and threatens to deal a heavy blow to France's already battered poultry industry, which is worth 5 billion euros a year. Japan's embassy in Paris said on Friday Tokyo had banned all imports of French poultry products with immediate effect. China, meanwhile, warned of the threat of a massive avian flu outbreak among birds in the country on Saturday (February 25) as it reported two new human cases -- a girl in eastern Zhejiang province and a woman farmer in neighbouring Anhui province, Xinhua news agency said. The woman farmer, who was diagnosed on Feb. 11 with symptoms of fever and pneumonia, had come into contact with sick and dead poultry, Xinhua said. The girl, from Anji County, had visited relatives who kept poultry, Xinhua said. And a nine-year-old Chinese girl diagnosed with bird flu was still listed in critical condition on Sunday (February 26). That brought the total number of human cases of bird flu in China to 14, and eight of those have died while four have recovered. China's Ministry of Health has reported the two new cases to the World Health Organisation, and to authorities in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other countries. Xinhua said Zhejiang health authorities had tested 600 people for symptoms and the province had increased vaccinations on poultry and tightened supervision over the movement of poultry. Xinhua also reported the province had also set up a crisis management team to mobilise thousands in the case of emergency. China has reported more than 30 outbreaks of H5N1 strain of bird flu in both poultry and wild birds in a dozen provinces in the past year. Bird flu is highly contagious among poultry and can spread through an entire flock in hours. It remains difficult for humans to catch but has killed more than 90 people worldwide since late 2003. So far most human victims of the virus have had direct or indirect contact with infected birds, but there are fears the virus will mutate into a strain easily passed among people, causing a pandemic in which millions could die. And bird sanctuaries across India have stepped up surveillance of migratory birds as the country grapples with its first outbreak of bird flu reported from western Maharashtra state last week. Home to at least 50,000 local and migratory birds, wildlife officials at the Vedanthangal Bird sanctuary in southern Tamil Nadu state's Kanchipuram district are taking no chances, keeping a strict watch on the winged visitors. Officials at the sanctuary said they were alert to any apparent symptoms of avian influenza even though most of the birds mainly migrate from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, where there is no incidence of bird flu as yet. Officials said they have been on an alert since two years, long before bird flu came to India and are currently part of a statewide alert in the Tamil Nadu state with regard to the virus. Situated 90 kilometers from Tamil Nadu state's capital city Chennai, Vendanthangal is India's oldest bird sanctuary. The southern state has more than 1,000 kilometers of coastline where hundreds of thousands of migratory birds like flamingos, pelicans, cranes and geese throng its shores and water bodies all year round.
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