Avian Influenza
Avian Influenza - Update 05/02/2007
Key messages
- Cooked poultry is safe to eat
- Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) is a disease of birds.
- Avian influenza only rarely affects people, and only after direct contact with diseased birds, not meat or eggs.
- The virus is killed by normal cooking
An outbreak of the Avian Influenza strain H5N1 (Bird Flu) in poultry is ongoing on a turkey farm in Suffolk in the UK.
Whilst there is much speculation about the potential for a pandemic, the disease that exists remains primarily a disease of birds. According to WHO, since 2003 to date, 271 people that we know of have contracted the H5N1 strain of the virus and of those 165 have died (03.02.2007). Any risk to human health arises from close contact with infected poultry. Human cases, to date, have generally been associated with exposure to the virus during the slaughter of infected birds. Poultry meat and eggs on sale for human consumption have a negligible risk of carrying Avian Influenza virus, and are completely safe once cooked
Poultry and poultry products can be prepared and eaten as usual, provided that they are handled hygienically while raw, and cooked thoroughly prior to consumption.
Normal cooking temperatures of over 70°C will kill the virus, and therefore consumption of properly cooked poultry meat carries no risk of infection with the H5N1 virus. Poultry should be cooked thoroughly, so that it reaches at least 70°C in all parts, ensuring that it is piping hot all the way through, with no pink meat left and until the juices run clear.
Normal hygienic practices regarding handling of raw poultry meat should be observed. Hands, utensils and surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned following contact with raw poultry products; and there should be adequate separation of raw food from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
Read more in our FAQ on Avian Influenza
For further information
Food safety Aspects of Avian Influenza
WHO/FAO statement on food safety and Avian Influenza
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/fs_management/No_07_AI_Nov05_en.pdf
The European Food Safety Authority has produced a scientific risk assessment of food as a possible source of Avian Influenza viruses for humans and other mammals.
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/biohaz/biohaz_documents.html
An overview on Avian Influenza was included in our September/October newsletter 2005, fsainews (pages 6&7)
Animal Health Aspects of Avian Influenza
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food deals with the animal health and welfare issues associated with Avian Influenza
The European Commission deals with animal health aspects of Avian Influenza
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Human Health Aspects of Avian Influenza
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre deals with the human issues associated with Avian Influenza on its website at:
www.ndsc.ie/hpsc/A-Z/Respiratory/AvianInfluenza/
The Department of Health and Children deals with Avian Influenza on its website at:
www.dohc.ie/issues/avian_flu/
The World Health Organization has an extensive range of information on the global situation on Avian Influenza on its website
Fact sheet on Bird flu: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/avian_influenza/en/index.html
Frequently asked Questions on Bird flu: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/index.html
The European Commission deals with human health aspects of Avian Influenza at: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/avian_influenza_en.htm#humans
Last reviewed: 1/4/2009