In the weeks since multiple U.S. government agencies announced joint news release Cases of H5N1 infection are spreading among dairy cows across the country, with confirmed cases in two U.S. states on the Canadian border. idaho and michigan.
Avian influenza (also known as avian influenza or avian influenza) has spread rapidly among dairy cows in the United States, leading to at least one person being diagnosed with the virus and the ability of avian influenza to be transmitted between species. It has been shown once again that it is possible.
This has led some states to issue safety precautions and warnings. Warning against cooking eggs Any style that makes the yolk runny.
Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs?
With such warnings from officials south of the border, Canadians may be wondering if it’s safe to consume eggs, chicken and meat.
Matthew Miller is director of the Michael G. DeGroot Institute for Infectious Diseases at McMaster University. In an interview with CTV News, when asked if there were any risks to the food Canadians consume, he was quite candid.
“No, not at all,” Mr. Miller said. “Agricultural surveillance for avian influenza is excellent. There can always be other nasty bacteria from beef and chicken, so it’s always important to follow good cooking standards, but (Canada’s) Standards protect consumers.”
On March 31st, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) stated in a statement He said no bird flu has been detected in dairy cows or other livestock, but the situation is being closely monitored.
“It’s not a food safety issue.”
CTV News has reached out to several Canadian agricultural organizations for comment.
“Canadian dairy producers already adhere to some of the highest biosecurity standards in the world,” Lucy Boileau, communications director for Dairy Farms Canada, told CTV News. “Please note that only milk taken from healthy animals is allowed for distribution and human consumption.”
Pam Passerino, communications team leader for Egg Farmers of Ontario, told CTV News that consumers should be confident that the CFIA is conclusive that this is “not a food safety issue.”
“Avian influenza is not a food safety threat because it only affects birds. Chicken and eggs are safe to eat if handled and prepared properly. There is no increased public health risk associated with avian influenza.” ” Passerino said.
Miller said farmers who handle cattle and livestock already know how to deal with infectious diseases, and poultry farms already have established practices to avoid contamination.
Can humans also get infected with bird flu?
However, this is largely due to the fact that chickens are generally kept in pens, which protects animals such as cows, which are normally in free-range environments, from migratory birds that can carry the virus. Because it is much more difficult to prevent viruses from entering. This is to avoid contaminating other cows.
Beyond the impact of the disease on food, Miller says the biggest concern for farmers and Canadian authorities is to prevent bird flu from spreading to humans.
“The most important thing we can do in this current situation is to do everything we can to avoid human infection,” Miller said. “No energy or expense should be spared to take all possible steps to avoid animal-to-human transition events.”
A person in Texas was diagnosed with bird flu last week, and state health officials said the person had been in contact with cattle that were believed to be infected. Experts say it’s highly unlikely this will spread beyond a few isolated cases, but there’s no such thing as being too cautious in a post-COVID-19 world.
“I think everyone is tired of dealing with infectious diseases and wants to forget about the risks it poses to people, and rightly so,” Miller said. “But one of the really important things for our leaders and politicians to emphasize is the importance of prevention.
“No one wants to experience another coronavirus pandemic, which is why it is so important that we collectively call on governments to invest in strong prevention strategies. Prevention goes far beyond responding to a pandemic. It’s cheap,” he continued.
Miller said personal precautions to avoid the disease include avoiding dead animals, referring the carcasses to the appropriate authorities, and wearing shoes worn when walking in areas with a lot of bird or goose droppings. It recommends washing regularly.
