Musician Kon Waii Son shocked many people when he slaughtered a chicken on stage and drank its blood during a live performance. Drinking blood is illegal in India, but drinking raw blood is more than an act of cruelty.

Here’s a look at the various potential effects of raw chicken blood on your health and why doctors insist on consuming well-cooked poultry:

Salmonella: Raw blood from chicken may contain various bacteria. One of the most common is salmonella, a bacteria found in the intestines of chickens. Eating even small amounts of blood can cause infection. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, headache and blood in the stool. A type of Salmonella bacteria called Salmonella Typhi causes typhoid fever in humans.

Campylobacter: This bacteria can be transmitted through infected animal feces. The most common symptom is bloody diarrhea. If left untreated or in severe cases, it can be life-threatening.

Clostridium perfringens: This bacteria can be transmitted through raw chicken blood. The bacteria will then produce a toxin that causes diarrhea. In some cases, toxins can cause necrotizing enteritis, a life-threatening condition that affects the small intestine.

Bird flu: This disease, also known as bird flu, can be transmitted through contact with poultry blood. Some strains of this virus can be life-threatening or lead to heart or lung complications for people.

Brucellosis: Another bacteria that can be found in chicken blood. Symptoms of infection include fever, joint pain, headache, loss of appetite, depression, and large and painful lymph nodes. Complications include inflammation of the heart, joints, spleen, and liver, as well as infections of the central nervous system.

Aflatoxicosis: This disease is caused by toxins produced by fungi found in chicken feed such as corn, millet and sorghum. In humans, infection can cause liver enlargement, bruising, and impaired immune system.

Zoonotic diseases: Some infections, such as chicken anemia virus, are currently common in chickens but not in humans. However, drinking chicken blood can cause animal-to-human transmission. Many existing viruses, including Covid-19, were transmitted to humans through animals.

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