Meat hygiene crucial during Eid al-Adha: Expert

ANKARA

With Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, around the corner, an infectious disease specialist warns people to follow meat hygiene practices carefully to avoid contracting bacterial or virus infections.

Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bayındır, an infectious diseases specialist, has listed the most important things to consider in the days before Eid al-Adha.

Warning against diseases in sacrificed animals, Bayındır said that if the animal slaughter is not performed properly, skin anthrax, gastrointestinal anthrax, or even meningitis may develop in people who have contacted the slaughtered animal.

“Gastrointestinal anthrax is lethal in 75 percent of the cases, and this number goes up to 95 percent if the patient develops meningitis. Another disease that can be transmitted from animals is orf virus infection. However, there is no special treatment for this disease, and the immune system heals within six weeks in normal people,” Bayındır explained.

Also drawing attention to the importance of storing meat at the appropriate temperature, Bayındır said that storing red meat above 4 degrees Celsius is not suitable, as that can lead to bacterial growth.

Stating that people make mistakes while washing and preparing meat, Bayındır cautioned that if the water used to wash the red meat splashes around or contacts any other ingredients, the meals made with those ingredients can cause infections as well.

“After the meat is washed, hand hygiene must be ensured, and the environment, including the kitchen counter, must be cleaned,” he added.

In addition, Bayındır stated that symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, blurred vision and dizziness may be caused by food poisoning, and even symptoms that disrupt nerve-muscle functions can be seen, though rarely.