February 26, 2004

Cambodia PM Promotes Chicken Safety

Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Cambodians on Thursday to resume eating chicken, saying they are overreacting to the bird flu outbreak.

He said he feasts on fowl everyday, especially roast chicken, and "you can see I'm still fine."

"This is an excessive fear when there is no single sign confirming that there was a spread from chickens to humans yet in Cambodia," he said during a visit to a hospital in the northwestern Siem Reap province. His speech was broadcast on national radio. "It's time to declare an end to the fast of chickens."

Hun Sen said people should still avoid direct contact with sick birds, but it's safe to eat well-cooked meat of healthy chickens.

Confirmed cases of the bird flu outbreak were reported at two locations near Phnom Penh and a zoo south of the capital. Officials reported two more suspected outbreaks in fowl Wednesday.

The country so far hasn't reported any cases of human infection of bird flu.

Cambodia isn't a chicken exporting country and many villagers raise poultry for their own consumption or retail sales.