Chennai has recently witnessed mass death of crows across several neighborhoods, including Adyar, Velachery, Thiruvanmiyur, Pallikaranai and Perungudi. This has raised concerns among residents.
Laboratory testing of samples from these dead crows confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus. This marks the first time such an incident has been reported in Chennai. While poultry has not been affected so far, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian has advised people to avoid eating uncooked chicken or raw eggs.
We spoke with Dr. Rajeev, who will explain what the H5N1 virus is and how people can stay protected.