Post by Averra Ren on Feb 1, 2013 23:19:59 GMT -6
(This is my essay/report on H5N1, as Averra would write it. It would be published in some obscure science journal and be read by absolutely no one.)
The dangers of consuming poultry
By: Averra Ren
Let's face it, we've all had a bite of bird at some point in our lives. Few don't enjoy the occasional chicken wing, and annually thousands of turkeys are devoured to celebrate a feast where no one actually ate turkey. There are innumerable reasons not to eat fowl, but I will elaborate on only one: H5N1, or Avian Flu.
Now, you might be thinking, 'oh, it's a disease birds get. Doesn't matter, just cook them right, right?' WRONG. Avian flu is also transferred through eggs or live poultry, as well as through infected mammals. All it takes is a single pathogen to float up your nose, at which point you'll end up begging for your life as pneumonia, eye infections, and respiratory distress simultaneously attack your system.
This flu is deadly, with a sixty percent mortality rate. This virus has an incubation period of three to seven days, so you could be infected for a week and not know it. And here's the thing: the only way to identify it is to have a sample tested in a lab. You could be thinking that you have a regular flu, then you die. Unpleasant, yes?
It's very easy to undercook your meat slightly, leaving the pathogen inside, waiting to latch on to some poor victim's cells. There's always the danger of getting it from birds like ducks, geese, plovers, sandpipers, and many more. Imagine this: your pet steps in infected bird poop and licks off of their feet. They then use the same tongue to wash the rest of their body! What if you pet your cat or dog, forget to wash your hands, then eat a sandwich? Bam, you've got a sixty percent chance of dying, seeing as there's nk vaccine or proper cure.
Better to avoid the risk, yes? Poultry isn't a necessary part of our food pyramid: protein can be acquired from any number of sources. Avoid dying, and go without fowl.
The dangers of consuming poultry
By: Averra Ren
Let's face it, we've all had a bite of bird at some point in our lives. Few don't enjoy the occasional chicken wing, and annually thousands of turkeys are devoured to celebrate a feast where no one actually ate turkey. There are innumerable reasons not to eat fowl, but I will elaborate on only one: H5N1, or Avian Flu.
Now, you might be thinking, 'oh, it's a disease birds get. Doesn't matter, just cook them right, right?' WRONG. Avian flu is also transferred through eggs or live poultry, as well as through infected mammals. All it takes is a single pathogen to float up your nose, at which point you'll end up begging for your life as pneumonia, eye infections, and respiratory distress simultaneously attack your system.
This flu is deadly, with a sixty percent mortality rate. This virus has an incubation period of three to seven days, so you could be infected for a week and not know it. And here's the thing: the only way to identify it is to have a sample tested in a lab. You could be thinking that you have a regular flu, then you die. Unpleasant, yes?
It's very easy to undercook your meat slightly, leaving the pathogen inside, waiting to latch on to some poor victim's cells. There's always the danger of getting it from birds like ducks, geese, plovers, sandpipers, and many more. Imagine this: your pet steps in infected bird poop and licks off of their feet. They then use the same tongue to wash the rest of their body! What if you pet your cat or dog, forget to wash your hands, then eat a sandwich? Bam, you've got a sixty percent chance of dying, seeing as there's nk vaccine or proper cure.
Better to avoid the risk, yes? Poultry isn't a necessary part of our food pyramid: protein can be acquired from any number of sources. Avoid dying, and go without fowl.
