Food Prep
Is It Safe to Eat Eggs, Chicken or Dairy During the Bird Flu Outbreak?
Here’s everything you need to know.
You may have been seeing “avian flu” or “bird flu” everywhere right now. The current outbreak has been a trending topic across news outlets. Bird flu (H5N1) is a strain of influenza virus that mainly affects birds.1 However, humans can be infected in a variety of ways, including through close contact with infected cattle or birds and from contaminated surfaces.
Is it possible to get infected from eggs, chicken or even milk and dairy products? Should we be avoiding dairy and poultry altogether during the outbreak? Here, we’re breaking down what to know so you can stay safe and lower your infection risk.
Avian Influenza and Safe Poultry Cooking
H5N1 avian influenza is a disease found in poultry and wild birds. While there have been
cases of human illness reported due to H5N1, according to the World Health Organization,
no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of
properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even when these foods were contaminated
with the H5N1 virus.
Poultry (such as chicken, duck, turkey, and pheasant) and poultry products (such as eggs
and foods made from eggs) will be safe to eat if good hygenic practices and proper
cooking methods are used. The following safety steps should always be taken when
handling and cooking fowl and egg products to protect consumers from avian influenza
and other foodborne illnesses, such as salmonella.