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The outbreak of bird flu in the country is making some people think twice before eating
chicken or duck. But a national group of doctors says there's
no cause for concern,... and in a show of confidence, they tucked into some delicious
duck meat at a restaurant in Seoul. Our Paul Yi reports. Here in the city of Seoul,
a local restaurant specializing in roasted duck is buzzing with business despite the
outbreak of avian influenza. But it hasn't scared off this special community
of doctors, who say they are eager to dig in.
"Ah, it tastes delicious "
Organized by the Korean Academy of Family Doctors, some 100 health professionals have
come out in a show of support... to raise public awareness about food safety.
"From the perspective of health professionals, there is no problem with eating chicken and
duck affected by bird flu as long as it's cooked. We came here to demonstrate that."
According to relevant authorities, there have been no human cases of the H5N8 bird flu strain
in Korea. However doctors say such infections, if there
were to be some, would be manageable.
"Avian influenza in terms of influenza strains is not a serious disease. If by chance there
were an infection, anti-viral drugs and similar treatments would be more than sufficient to
treat it."
Local market vendors say the recent scare of contaminated poultry products has caused
a slight dip in sales ahead of the Lunar New Year.
But even with the shift in public perception, they're confident that customers understand
the risks are minimal.
"I knew that if you cooked [the meat] it would be safe, so I don't have any anxiety eating
duck."
In addition, experts say there is no evidence to suggest that eating cooked poultry can
transmit the AI virus to humans. So don't worry, just cook thoroughly, and
eat up
"Duck meat Chicken meat If you cook it, it's safe "
Paul Yi, Arirang News