Madhya Pradesh govt terms 'coronavirus' found in chicken report as baseless

Bhopal, June 20: Madhya Pradesh's Animal Husbandry Department termed the reports doing rounds on social media that coronavirus was found in chicken in some poultry farms in the state as "baseless". It has also made it clear that consumption of chicken was completely safe and does not cause infection.

The department issued this clarification after a news report was circulated on social media, which claimed that the health department has tested poultry chicken in some districts in the state and found them coronavirus infected.

"Director of the animal husbandry department, RK Rokde, citing a letter issued by the state health department in this regard, has refuted the claim made in the news report that coronavirus was found in chicken," a Public Relations Department official said.

According to the official, Rokde has made it clear that the consumption of poultry products was completely safe. "The animal husbandry department said that this news is completely misleading and baseless. No guidelines or warning letters have been issued by the health department regarding chicken or closure of poultry farms," the official added.

The news report had claimed that sampling of poultry birds for coronavirus was done by the health department in Bhopal, Gwalior, Dewas, Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Badnagar, Sehore, Barwani and Mhow.

"However, Rokde has said that no such sampling was carried out at any place in the state and no sign of coronavirus infection was spotted among the poultry birds so far," the official said.