CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 04/13/06

Untrue rumors surround bird flu

By Jim Crawford
University of Georgia

Poultry and poultry products are getting some bad press and are the subject of untrue rumors linked to Asian Bird Flu.

As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent, I want to assure you that eating eggs and other poultry products is safe in spite of the rumors you may have heard. As a matter of fact, the Georgia Poultry Federation wants you to know the truth about avian influenza.

Not in U.S. yet

The type of avian influenza occurring in Asia is called H5N1 HPAI highly pathogenic avian influenza. We have never had this strain in the United States and do not have it now.

The disease is currently causing a major outbreak in multiple Asian countries. It is extremely deadly to poultry, has spread to wild birds in those areas, has caused more than 100 infections in humans and has resulted in some human deaths.

Actually, the transmission of Asian bird flu from birds to humans is extremely rare. Furthermore, the truth is that almost all infected people have had close, direct contact with live poultry infected with Asian bird flu.

Most of the poultry in Asian countries is produced in small backyard or village flocks. This puts people there in frequent contact with these birds and their feces and other secretions.

The sheer number of backyard flocks and infected wild birds makes the task of controlling this disease very difficult. The problem in Asia also presents a real challenge because the virus is present in such a large geographical region. These underdeveloped areas are not able to make a large-scale eradication effort.

U.S. industry prepared

You can take comfort knowing that considerable effort has been made to prevent the introduction of asian bird flu into U.S. poultry. Officials here have also prepared a response should the virus enter the U.S.

Unlike Asian poultry, U.S. poultry production units require very little handling of poultry. And the U.S. doesn't import any chicken, turkey or other poultry products from Asia. The fresh poultry you see in grocery stores is produced in the U.S., except for a very small amount produced in Canada.

If you're still concerned, consider that like all microorganisms, the avian influenza virus is killed by the heat of normal cooking. Even if this disease was introduced into the U.S., there is no danger of getting it from properly cooked poultry.

So, are eggs safe to eat? Absolutely. If laying-hens develop avian influenza one of the first symptoms is that they stop laying eggs.

If the virus was discovered in the U.S., the effected farm would be immediately quarantined. Besides, table eggs are washed and sanitized before they are sold in grocery stores. If the virus were present on the shell, it would be inactivated by the sanitation process.

So, go ahead and enjoy your eggs for breakfast and your Sunday fried chicken dinner without fear of avian influenza.

Jim Crawford is the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension coordinator in Jefferson County.

Experts/Sources:
Jim F. Crawford
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.