Bird flu alert in calcutta, chicken off your platter?

So we're flashing on every news channel! But whats all the hype about? well its Bird flu this time in Calcutta, from where i belong.. and not a good time for all the calcuttans who are compelled to quit consuming poultry(sigh).. imagine chicken and eggs being excluded from our meals! how cruel is this, just like some curfew, like everything has gone haywire! i cant think of any alternative to replace the taste of poultry and eggs, i cant feed that to baby Alisha who doesn't seem to be interested in any food except eggs! when will the chickens be back safely?

Few days ago West Bengal birds were found to be carrying the H5N1 virus which can cause avian influenza in humans.. WB had appealed to all other states to help cull up chickens suspected of having the disease.19 districts were supposed have been affected, with a population of 24 million.. phew!

Nepal is said have banned poultry imports from India.. Bangladesh fears an outbreak too.

So what is bird flu?
Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus.All birds are thought to be susceptible to the avian influenza, though some species, such as wild ducks, are more resistant than others. Domestic poultry, such as chickens or turkeys, are particularly susceptible.

How does it effect people?
Avian influenza does not normally infect species other than birds and pigs. But humans came down with the bird flu in Hong Kong in 1997, when the H5N1 strain infecting 18 humans, 6 of whom died.

Genetic studies showed the virus jumped directly from birds to humans, and caused severe illness with high mortality.

What are the symptoms, can it be tested and how do you treat it?
When humans came down with H5N1 bird flu in Hong Kong in 1997, patients developed symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough and, in several of the fatal cases, severe respiratory distress secondary to viral pneumo

Antiviral drugs, some of which can be used for both treatment and prevention, are clinically effective against influenza A virus strains in otherwise healthy adults and children, but have some limitations

I just want people to be cautious, as prevention is better than cure.. dont you agree?