Chicken for dinner?

What’s the question your fellow blog readers ask most often?  The title above is a (should I say dead?) giveaway.

Here is WHO’s answer:

“The World Health Organization reconfirms that, when poultry products are safely handled and properly cooked, humans are not at risk of acquiring H5N1 infection through food.

“Although the H5N1 virus is highly infectious among poultry, it is not easily transmissible to humans. Since December 2003, this virus is known to have infected 173 people, of whom 93 have died. Not one of these cases has been linked to the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products.

“The main health risk currently is to people who are in close contact with infected poultry, such as families with backyard flocks and poultry workers in wet markets or live animal markets. . . .

“Globally, the evidence demonstrates that there is no risk of infection when birds and eggs are well-cooked, as this kills the virus. Poultry products are important sources of protein throughout the world.” (WHO, 2006)[1]

This answer sums it up well, but one must read and interpret it with some care.  Two important phrases are “safely handled” and “properly cooked”.

First, though, let’s review where we are: 

·        There is no evidence that the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu strain has reached North America -- yet. 

·        There is no evidence that any person anywhere got infected with the bird flu virus by eating wild birds or poultry or eggs that were properly cooked. 

What is “properly cooked”?

If your cooking is “proper” enough to prevent salmonella infections, it will also be enough to prevent bird flu infections.  A temperature of 165°F (74°C) or higher kills the avian influenza H5N1 virus reliably, even if this temperature reaches each virus particle for as little time as a few seconds. At these temperatures, meat changes color and is no longer pink (Swayne, 2006; Swayne & Beck, 2004).[2]

Since eggs can carry the H5N1 virus both on the shell and in the egg whites and yolk, eggs from areas with H5N1 outbreaks in poultry must not be consumed raw or with runny yolk.   Neither should uncooked eggs be used in foods that will remain uncooked, or will not be baked or otherwise heat-treated. Of course, the same holds true if you want to reliably avoid getting a salmonella infection.

What is “safely handled”?

Clearly, properly cooked birds are safe to eat. But assume you are to cook a bird that might be infected -- and I hasten to add that at present you will not find one in these here parts -- how safe is handling and preparing it for cooking?  Should you ever be confronted with this question, here are some tips (CDC, 2006)[3] that are also worth keeping in mind to prevent other microbial infections: 

·         Separate raw meat from cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Do not use the same chopping board or the same knife for preparing raw meat and cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

·         Do not handle either raw or cooked foods without washing your hands in between.

·         Do not place cooked meat back on the same plate or surface it was on before it was cooked.

·         All foods from poultry, including eggs and poultry blood should be cooked thoroughly. Egg yolks should not be runny or liquid. Because influenza viruses are destroyed by heat, the cooking temperature for poultry meat should be 74°C (165°F)

·         Wash egg shells in soapy water before handling and cooking, and wash your hands afterwards.

·         Sanitize cutting boards by using a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water[4]

·         Do not use raw or soft-boiled eggs in foods that will not be cooked.

·         After handling raw poultry or eggs, wash your hands and all surfaces and utensils thoroughly with soap and water.

Refrigerating or freezing contaminated meat will not kill the H5N1 virus.

Probably the greatest risk of infection with the virus is through the handling and slaughter of live infected poultry or wild birds.

For now, and if things get worse, with these precautions you still can safely enjoy your favorite chicken, turkey, or pheasant dish. 

---

[1] Avian influenza and food safety: statement by Dr LEE Jong-Wook, WHO Director-General, 27 February 2006, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2006/s04/en/index.html

[2] Swayne DE.

Microassay for measuring thermal inactivation of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in naturally infected chicken meat.

Int J Food Microbiol. 2006 Feb 13;

Swayne DE, Beck JR.

Heat inactivation of avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses in egg products.

Avian Pathol. 2004 Oct;33(5):512-8.

[3] Interim Guidance about Avian Influenza A (H5N1) for U.S. Citizens Living Abroad.

CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, March 29, 2006.

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/avian_flu_ig_americans_abroad_032405.htm

[4] http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/avianInfluenza.htm

Comments

[ashley]

This helped me with a school project that wouldn't be done if it wasn't for this web site.

[Glen Kinross]

Informative. Everyone needs to read the article.

[Wendy]

Looks like the days where the kids licked the bowl or beaters when you make a cake are gone? No cookie dough? Hmmm what else?

[anand]

Please discuss how to preserve or save meat by killing avian influenza virus for future use. Does pickling, smoking, or drying the meat kill the virus?