Myth: Poultry and poultry products should not be consumed if a bird flu outbreak occurs in your local area.

Reality: Bird flu viruses can easily be deactivated by properly cooking foods at a minimum of 70ºC for 10 minutes. Particular care should be taken when cooking frozen poultry to ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked, preferably until the juices run clear. Otherwise, there is little reason to avoid the consumption of poultry or eggs and as of this point in time, human bird flu infections have nearly all been attributed to close contact with infected birds.

Myth: Processed foods containing chicken or chicken products from bird flu-infected countries are also unsafe for consumption.

Reality: As mentioned in the previous question, proper heating will deactivate all live viruses in the product. As canned and processed chicken products undergo a heating process during manufacture, this allows them to remain safe for consumption. However, certain products such as mayonnaise, ice cream and hollandaise sauce contain traces of raw poultry products (namely egg) and theoretically, make it possible for them to be unsafe for consumption. Nonetheless, there have been very few confirmed cases of human bird flu infection due to contaminated food at this stage.

Myth: There will likely be a global shortage of eggs or poultry due to bird flu.

Reality: H5N1 has so far spread to a total of 13 different countries, but not yet produced a large enough impact to cause any serious global shortages of poultry meat or eggs. Other bird flu outbreaks such as the occurrences of H7N2 in the US and H7N7 in the Netherlands has also effectively come under control following swift government response to the situations. In countries where importation restrictions may have affected the availability of eggs to some extent, powdered and liquid eggs are popular alternatives and taste no different.

Myth: People will catch avian influenza from contact with wild birds or infected domestic poultry.

Reality: The vast majority of bird flu contraction in humans has indeed been associated with direct poultry contact. However, the ratio of virus infection in people versus the total number of people who may have come into direct contact with infected chickens is relatively low. Infected chicken numbers range in the hundreds of millions, yet there have been just over 150 human cases of H5N1 infection. In the case of other bird flu subtypes occurring in humans, the H7N7 strain from the Netherlands produced the second highest number of cases, producing a total 89 infections, but with a low mortality rate (just one death) despite the 30 million infected birds, all of which were culled.

Not everyone who comes into contact with poultry or wild birds will contract avian influenza. Proper protective gear and good hygiene after contact with live poultry at all times will provide substantial protection against human infection of unidentified avian flu viruses.

Myth: Pork meat originating from bird flu-infected areas should also be avoided since pigs can contract the virus.

Reality: Although far fetched, it is possible for pigs to contract bird flu viruses and such cases in association with H5N1 have already been recorded, though not widespread. As with cooking poultry meat however, any avian influenza viruses will be killed so long as the meat is properly heated for a sufficient period and there is definitely no dire need to avoid pork.

Myth: A H5N1 pandemic is eventually going to occur.

Reality: Experts agree that a global pandemic is inevitable, but have little idea when the next pandemic will occur. However, what needs to be clarified is that the pandemic will not necessarily be caused by H5N1 and the chances are that it won’t be. The current H5N1 strain in Southeast Asia has been more capable of producing human infections that any other subtype, but the virus is not yet able to transmit between people. What experts fear is that this subtype will potentially mutate into a new strain or subtype (a novel virus) in the near future, capable of transmitting between humans. As people have no resistance against the virus, it would be capable of infecting many people and even if the mortality rate were relatively low, a large number of infections would create a global pandemic. The new virus strain is known as pandemic influenza.

Myth: The flu vaccine will provide immunity against bird flu.

Reality: Seasonal influenza vaccines are actually updated annually to target the ever-changing strains of influenza that appear every year. Because different vaccines are required against different strains of flu virus (even those of the same subtype), the seasonal influenza vaccines can only provide immunity against its own specific strain and not any avian influenza strains. Nonetheless, people who are likely to come into contact with infected or potentially infected birds (poultry workers, cullers etc.) are advised to obtain influenza shots only to ensure a concurrent infection of avian and seasonal influenza does not occur. A simultaneous infection of multiple influenza strains increases the likelihood of virus mutation.

Myth: Travel to bird-flu infected countries is inadvisable.

Reality: As of yet, no travel warnings have been issued against travels to Southeast Asian countries on account of avian influenza outbreaks. Many nations have however, warned their citizens to keep away from poultry farms or live bird markets when visiting infected regions.

Myth: Compost containing any infected chicken manure produces vegetables unsafe for consumption.

Reality: Any bird flu viruses in chicken manure should theoretically be deactivated during composition, largely as a result of the amount of heat produced during the process. Composts are also generally applied before seed sowing and should not come into contact with the actual vegetables sold. However, thorough rinsing and soaking of produce is recommended before handling organic fruits and vegetables.