Bird Flu? What Chicken Eaters Can Do

Recent declines in poultry sales in Italy, France, India and other countries where the avian flu has infected domestic fowl may be giving American consumers pause. While the virus, H5N1, has not yet been found in birds in the U.S., what should we do if and when it does arrive? The answer, according to the World Health Organization and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), among others, is simple: Don't panic. If you normally eat chicken, turkey and duck, don't stop out of bird flu fears. Just handle it carefully and cook it well, as you should already be doing to avoid salmonella, which infects 16 percent of American poultry and is responsible for 1.4 million cases of food poisoning and 400 deaths a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cooking H5N1's Goose

"There isn't any threat from cooked chicken," says Dr. Michael Hansen, senior scientist with Consumers Union. Cooking poultry and eggs well will kill H5N1, just as heat destroys any influenza virus, CDC spokesperson Christine Pearson points out.

Cook poultry evenly, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F for whole birds and dark meat parts, 170 degrees F for breasts, using a meat thermometer, USDA advises. Oven heat should be at least 325 degrees F.

Safe Handling: Get a Grip

Meanwhile, federal and state governments and the poultry industry are working hard to deflect any taint of bird flu before it approaches our supermarkets, butcher shops or farm stands. Government agents have been monitoring and testing migratory wildfowl throughout the U.S., with a focus on far-flung borders such as Alaska and Hawaii. There have been reassuring reports in the media about the extensive preparations being taken by U.S. poultry farmers to prevent infection of birds and workers. But still, before that chicken goes from the package into the pot, you can't blame a consumer for wondering: What if? After all, the 80 percent rise in chickens with salmonella since 2000, despite USDA's salmonella reduction program, does little to inspire wholehearted confidence.

As the virus can live in poultry meat, could it be dangerous to handle raw chicken? "So you can wash your hands," Hansen says, and the CDC's Pearson confirms that "frequent hand washing" is advised in any area where bird or any other flu is prevalent.