13,000 Fowl Die in New Bird Flu Outbreak

Just when you thought it was safe to eat poultry, bird flu strikes again!

Earlier this week, local officials in China's Xinjiang Province ordered the killings of 13,000 fowl who were suspected to be carrying the dreaded H5N1 virus, also known as avian influenza or bird flu.    

Despite the 519 birds who died of the virus, only four human deaths have been reported in China this year from the disease.      

I remember hearing an FDA official talk about bird flu a few years ago, and he summed up the bird flu situation quite succinctly: If you're a bird, it's deadly.  If you're a human, it's not," provided, of course, that you don't eat undercooked chicken.

In any case, Chinese officials are already stockpiling anti-bird flu drugs should the influenza continue to spread to more humans.