Can I become infected with the bird flu by consuming eggs or other poultry products from infected birds?
There is no evidence that anyone has been infected with the Asian bird flu or other bird flu virus by eating properly cooked eggs or other cooked poultry products derived from infected birds. Cooking eggs until the whites and yolks are firm and cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) will kill the bird flu virus if it is present. Nearly all of the more than 100 human cases of the Asian bird flu that have been diagnosed recently in Asia have had direct contact with infected chickens, ducks, turkeys, or their environment. This suggests that close contact with infected birds has been the primary route of transmission for the Asian bird flu infections, rather than eating food derived from infected birds.
