Bird Flu Basics from UMaine Cooperative Extension
Contact: Extension Veterinarian Scott Haskell, 207-581-2789
ORONO–Two new fact sheets published by University of Maine Cooperative Extension affirm that avian influenza (AI) currently represents little risk to humans, and that eating properly handled and cooked poultry is safe.
“What Maine People Need to Know About Avian Influenza” provides information for the general public about the nature of avian influenza, the safety of poultry products and considerations when traveling internationally. “What Small Flock Owners in Maine Need to Know About Avian Influenza” explains how people with backyard poultry flocks can keep their birds healthy, lists the symptoms of AI in infected birds, and provides instructions for having mortalities tested by the UMaine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Avian influenza (AI) viruses are classified as either “low-path” (low pathogenicity) or “high-path” (high pathogenicity). Low-path AI causes only mild illness, if any, while high-path AI causes severe illness and often death among infected birds. The H5N1 strain that has caused outbreaks among birds overseas is a high-path strain. There is currently no H5N1 in North America.
An important point clarified by the Extension information is that avian flu is a disease of birds. It occurs naturally among birds and only some strains, such as H5N1, cause birds to become severely ill and die. While small numbers of people in Asia have contracted H5N1 from birds, human infection is rare. Those who have become infected have had prolonged contact with heavily contaminated environments. Extension Food Science Specialist Beth Calder helped put AI in context with this statistic: “Each year in the U.S. there are 76 million cases of food poisoning leading to 5000 deaths. There have been fewer than 200 confirmed human cases of avian influenza worldwide since 2003.”
Both Extension fact sheets explain that properly prepared poultry is safe to eat. The U.S. government has taken steps to prevent infected birds or their products from entering the U.S. food supply. Poultry products that are cooked to safe temperatures–165 degrees F or 74 degrees C–are safe to eat regardless, as these temperatures destroy flu virus. Furthermore, infected hens usually stop laying eggs, so infected eggs are rare.
We are reminded by these publications that all citizens share the responsibility to be prepared for emergencies. Simple common sense dictates that everyone practice basic hygiene strategies such as frequent hand washing and staying home when ill, and each family maintain a home emergency kit with supplies for at least three to five days.
UMaine Extension