Achi news desk-
In the weeks after multiple US agencies issued a joint news release about cases of H5N1 spreading among dairy cattle across the country, two US states bordering Canada have now confirmed cases: Idaho and Michigan.
The rapid spread of bird flu, also known as bird flu or bird flu, among US dairy cattle has led to at least one person being diagnosed with the virus, a reminder that it can be transmitted between species.
And it has prompted some states to issue reminders about safe cooking methods and warn against preparing eggs in any style where the yolk runs.
Is it safe to eat chicken, eggs?
With warnings like this from officials south of the border, Canadians may be wondering if it is safe for them to eat eggs, poultry and meat.
Matthew Miller is the director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University. Speaking to CTV News, he was quite blunt when asked if there is a risk to the food Canadians eat.
“No, there isn’t,” Miller said. “The agricultural surveillance for bird flu is excellent. It’s always important to follow proper cooking standards, because there are always other nasty bacteria that can come from beef or chicken, but (Canadian) standards for food processing protect consumers.”
On March 31, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said in a statement that it had not detected bird flu in dairy cattle or other livestock, but that it was monitoring the situation closely.
‘Not a food safety issue’
CTV News reached out to several Canadian farming organizations for comment.
“Canadian dairy producers already adhere to some of the highest biosecurity standards in the world,” Lucie Boileau, director of communications for Dairy Farmers of Canada, told CTV News. “It should be noted that only milk from healthy animals is authorized for distribution and human consumption.”
Pam Passerino, communications team leader for Egg Farmers of Ontario, told CTV News that consumers should be assured that the CFIA is adamant that this is “not a food safety issue.”
“Bird flu is not a threat to food safety, as it only affects birds. Poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. There is no increased public health risk associated with bird flu,” Passerino said.
Miller says farmers who handle cattle and livestock are already familiar with the rules for dealing with infections, and there are already established practices in poultry settings to avoid contamination.
Can humans get bird flu?
However, a large part of that is because chickens are usually kept in pens, and it is much more difficult to protect animals that are usually in free range environments, such as cattle, from migratory birds that could carry the virus, as well and to prevent contaminating other cattle.
Beyond the impact the disease could have on food, Miller says what Canadian farmers and officials should be most concerned about is preventing the spread of bird flu to humans.
“The most important thing we can do in the current context is to do everything we can to avoid human transmission,” Miller said. “No energy or expense should be spared in taking every step we possibly can to avoid those transition events from animals to humans.”
A person in Texas was diagnosed with bird flu last week, and state health officials said the person had been in contact with suspected infected cows. Although experts say it is highly unlikely that this could spread beyond a few isolated cases, there is no such thing as being too cautious in a post-COVID-19 world.
“Everyone is sick and tired of dealing with infectious disease, and I think that has led to people wanting to forget about the risks that are posed, which is understandable,” Miller said. “But one thing that is really important to emphasize to our leaders and politicians is the importance of prevention.
“No one wants to live through another COVID pandemic, so a collective call for government to invest in robust, preventative strategies is very important. Prevention is infinitely cheaper than responding to a pandemic,” he continued.
In terms of individual precautions in avoiding the disease, Miller says to avoid dead animals and call the appropriate authorities to dispose of their bodies, as well as cleaning shoes worn regularly when walking in areas with a lot of bird or goose droppings.
