Bird flu

Posted by Andrew Wadge on February 6th 2007 in Science, safety and health

I've been listening to radio interviews with my colleague Dr Judith Hilton, the Agency's head of  microbiological safety, reassuring us that we can continue to eat poultry and egg products, despite bird flu.

Although there doesn't seem to have been a panic by the media or consumers about the safety of eating poultry and eggs, people naturally look to the FSA and other bodies for reassurance. Understandably at times like this, our advice can come under scrutiny, and people have asked how we can be confident about the risk posed  by 'new diseases'. Bird flu isn't of course a new disease, but H5N1 strains of it are, since we've only known about them since 1997.

As far as bird flu goes, the science shows that it isn't contracted by eating food. Flu viruses rely on  receptors in the body to cause illness and those that flu latch onto are generally found in the respiratory tract. Those people who have contracted bird flu - currently about 270 worldwide - have been in very close  contact with sick birds.

People have been drawing comparisons between the advice about bird flu and the advice issued when BSE first hit the headlines. They've also been asking whether advice from Government scientists can be trusted. We thoroughly assessed the available evidence to establish our advice. This includes seeking the views of independent expert advisers. Our advice is supported by what’s being issued by worldwide bodies such as the World Health Organization.

But back to the difference between bird flu and BSE. I think with BSE, there wasn't much to go on in the early days (we didn't know much about prions, the agent believed to be behind BSE and other TSEs), whereas lots is known about the flu virus, which fascinates scientists.

Although it's unlikely that a product harbouring the bird flu virus would ever reach the UK food chain, there are a number of factors that would stop someone becoming infected with it, even if they did eat an affected product.

Firstly, cooking meat thoroughly is more than enough to kill the virus.

Secondly, the body has a number of other barriers that would protect us, including saliva, gastric acids and the lack of suitable receptors in the gut.

The FSA continues to work with other parts of Government to ensure that people are protected from bird flu,  and the threat is taken seriously. However, as my colleague Dr Hilton advised earlier, there's no reason why  people shouldn't tuck into a turkey dinner or boiled egg as usual.

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AI virus - Bernard Mathews product specifically

Posted by David Moorhouse (not verified) on 01/03/2007 - 17:49

I totally accept the concept that the AI virus will be destroyed by thorough cooking of the meat.

Having just started this process ( cooking ) of several Turkey Escalopes from the Bernard Mathews site in Norfolk, it suddenly occurred to me " How safe is it to just throw the uncooked packaging into the normal waste systems ? This packaging has been deep-frozen , so once unfrozen any contaminent AI virus would be viable and accessible to scavengers / vermin via landfill sites - not to mention any domestic animals.??"
This is a genuine concern - please give me a scientific - not just one of the political percentile risk factor type answers.
David

Bernard Matthews Tutkeys

Posted by John K-Wilson (not verified) on 28/02/2007 - 13:51

Although the FSA issues the usual re-assurances, that cooking can destroy any Bird flu virus on uncooked meat, much the same was said about CJD, in the BSE beef crisis.

Why is there simply no effort made to gather evidence from the public, if Turkeys are not being recalled, to check what batch numbers have been on sale prior to this scandal? I bought 3 frozen birds just before Xmas and have eaten 2 since then.
Although I also had a flu-jab earlier in Dec, I have since then had severe throat pains in early Jan, and a persistent cough ever since. The last bird not used had a 'Best Before date' of May 2010 and a serial no. L620732 126, and I'd like it's origins to be traced before I'm sure it is safe to eat.

bird-flu contamination.

Posted by Roy Jasper (not verified) on 23/02/2007 - 18:52

It is accepted that some risk is attached to infected raw poultry in the home. But not if you read the messages published by supermarket webs, advertisements and Sainsburys' replies to letters.
Should not the irresponsible, commercially interested trivialising of the risk be curtailed?

Confusion in the media on how the virus travels?

Posted by Chris Bradley (not verified) on 15/02/2007 - 11:42

I'm fairly sure that I heard on the news, at some stage, that the 'processed meat' coming in from Hungary had been (/is?) presumed safe by various agencies because the virus is only present and can only survive in live animals.

Perhaps I did not hear this right, but in any case; can the FSA provide some clear guidance on where, and under what conditions, the virus can remain and persist, and for how long?

Bird Flu

Posted by Bob (not verified) on 11/02/2007 - 20:40

I purchased Hungarian Turkey Breast Steaks today (Sunday) from a well known supplier.

On getting them home and opening the pack (which I thought was chicken breast steaks), I was disturbed to see both the source and the content.

We then followed normal poultry handling rules on de-contamination, but were able to make doubly sure that the packaging was treated with boiling water prior to careful disposal.

I ate one of the well-cooked turkey breasts, my wife declined to do so. She later read me the article from the 'Observer' mentioning (Prof John Oxford) that some viable virus particles may, in fact, remain after thorough cooking....I was not amused.

On taking into consideration previous media coverage, I had assumed that the product would have been recalled had it been in any way hazardous. However, I'm not encouraged that the first assumption, that bird flu is only transmitted from live birds in close contact with humans, has been breached in its apparent transmission from dead birds (processed meat) to live birds, causing a substantial infected pool of birds.

Regards
Bob

Bird flu in the food chain and raw meat

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on 10/02/2007 - 09:37

In the media there hasn't been any mention of using contaminated raw meat to feed animals such as pets (I know that raw turkey and poultry is fed to cats and other pets and remember reading that a zoo in South East Asia was closed because the keepers fed contaminated meat to the wild cats who then passed the virus to some visitors). Also, I am concerned that H5N1 could possibly be transmitted to wildlife in the UK as pets interact with other wildlife.

Minimising risk...

Posted by Andrew Wadge on 09/02/2007 - 18:12

Indeed, Bill, there is a risk in preparing any raw meat and Agency advice seeks to minimise that risk by stopping any bacteria or viruses spreading and ensuring that meat is properly cooked. Washing your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before touching the meat and afterwards is important, as is drying your hands after washing them because wet hands spread bacteria and viruses more easily.

You should also clean the work surface you’re using thoroughly before and after preparing raw meat.

At the time of writing, we don’t know if turkey infected with bird flu is in the food chain. If it turns out that it is, then the Government will take any appropriate action.

bird flu handling raw chicken and poultry

Posted by bill (not verified) on 09/02/2007 - 13:27

I think there is SOME risk attached to preparing chicken at home. So surely the advice should be to wear disposable gloves. Then there is no contact. Follow that up with cleaning work surfaces

BUT more importantly, with the knowledge that infected turkey is in the food chain via eastern bloc meat, processed in the UK, surely that product MUST be withdrawn. A tough but important call to make...

rgds
Bill