Good hygienic practices

    The FAO and WHO are urging the practice of slaughtering and eating infected birds in households, whether diseased or already dead, to be stopped.

    The birds should also not be used for animal feed.

    Even in areas or countries suffering outbreaks, the likelihood of infected poultry entering an industrialized slaughtering and processing chain, and eventually being marketed and handled by consumers or restaurant workers, is considered to be very low, FAO and WHO said.

    They added that good hygienic practices, such as high cooking temperatures, will further contribute to the safety of cooked poultry meat.

    Proper vaccination of domestic poultry is considered to be a useful tool by health leaders as part of an overall integrated strategy for the control of highly pathogenic avian influenza strains.

    But it must be implemented in accordance with existing standards and procedures for vaccination, they added,

    With appropriate monitoring programmes in place, vaccinated poultry can enter the food chain without particular risk for the consumer.

    Highly pathogenic strains of the avian influenza virus can also be found inside and on the surface of eggs laid by infected birds.

    Although sick birds will normally stop producing eggs, eggs laid in the early phase of the disease could contain viruses in the egg-white and yolk as well as on the surface of the shell.

    Proper cooking, however, inactivates the virus present inside the eggs.

    Pasteurization used by industry for liquid egg products is also effective in inactivating it.

    But eggs from areas with outbreaks in poultry should not be consumed raw or only partially cooked, such as with runny yolk, FAO and WHO said.

    However, as with meat, there is no evidence to date to suggest that people have been infected with bird flu by eating eggs or egg products if cooked properly.

    Recommended practices

    Recommended good hygienic practices that have been issued to reduce exposure to the virus in areas with outbreaks in poultry are:

    No birds from flocks with disease should enter the food chain.

    Do not eat raw poultry parts, including raw blood, or raw eggs in or from areas with outbreaks in poultry.

    Separate raw meat from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid contamination.

    Do not use the same chopping board or knife.

    Do not handle both raw and cooked foods without washing your hands in between and do not place cooked meat back on the same plate or surface it was on prior to cooking.

    Do not use raw or soft-boiled eggs in food preparations that will not be heat treated or cooked.

    Wash your hands and keep them clean. After handling frozen or thawed raw poultry or eggs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

    Wash and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw meat.

    Cook thoroughly: Thorough cooking of poultry meat will inactivate the virus.

    Either ensure that the poultry meat reaches 70 C at the centre of the product ("piping" hot) or that the meat is not pink in any part.

    Egg yolks should not liquid.

    (Source: China Daily)