As the entire world is fighting against COVID-19, scientists warn of more severe catastrophe in waiting – now from chicken farms.
It is feared that the real plague could wipe out half of the world’s population.
Dr Michael Greger, the author of the best-selling book ‘How Not To Die’, claims that chickens could be the cause of the next deadly pandemic, and the worst kind –more severe than COVID-19.
According to him, an apocalyptic virus from chicken farms could lead to a more dangerous pandemic than COVID-19 and wipe out half of the world’s population.
In his new book called ‘How To Survive A Pandemic,’ Dr Greger warns that as ‘long as there is poultry, there will be pandemics’.
Dr Greger is a strict vegetarian and strong advocates a plant-based diet, according to reports.
He has spent years campaigning against the use of animal-based products.
The scientist fears that humans’ close connection to animals could lead to the worst kind of epidemic.
Dr Greger predicts that chicken farms could be harbouring another deadly pandemic that could nearly wipe us out.
The H5NI bird flu that emerged in Hong Kong, China in 1997 led to the killing of millions of chickens to eliminate the virus.
But the outbreaks happened again between 2003 and 2009 outside of China, which indicates that the virus has never been fully eliminated and there is a possibility of the outbreak taking place again.
To prevent another outbreak, Dr Greger suggests changing the way chickens are farmed.
In mass farms, chickens are kept in such tight spaces that they cannot even flap their wings, Dr Greger points out.
He says that the high ammonia level from their droppings is the main source for diseases.
The scientist further suggests that we should stop mass production of chickens.
He suggests raising smaller flocks in less crowded spaces with outdoor access, better hygiene and without the use of human antivirals.
There’s also a need to end unnatural egg production and the practice of breeding, says Dr Greger.