Bird flu outbreak: Should you avoid eating eggs or milk amid spread? Expert answers

New Delhi: Amid the reports coming in about a bird flu outbreak in Kerala, the health departments in the state have been put on alert and have been asked to take necessary steps for protection. The bird flu outbreak in the state has affected two panchayat areas Edathva and Cheruthana Grama Panchayats. This has raised concerns among people over the consumption of poultry products.

According to a recent report published in Johns Hopkins Public Health, it has been discovered that the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus has been found in dairy cows and subsequently, the infection is spreading.

Can you catch bird flu from milk or eggs?

Dr Nasiruddin G. – Consultant, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, Bangalore told News9, “Catching bird flu from milk and eggs is very unlikely. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected birds or their droppings, not through properly prepared dairy or eggs. Cooking eggs thoroughly (think fried or boiled) destroys the virus, and virtually all commercial milk is pasteurised, a process that eliminates it too. Raw milk should always be avoided as it can carry other germs. If you’re concerned, stick to cooked eggs and pasteurised milk products, and wash your hands after handling them.”

Bird Flu cases detected in Cow milk

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Bird flu has been detected in ‘high concentrations’ in raw milk in the US. Earlier this, a report revealed that the H5N1 virus has been transmitted to other mammals such as cats, humans, bats, foxes, mink and penguins and cows have been recently added to this group. A report from the United Nations notes that H5N1 infections in dairy herds and since then those confirmed cases are under investigation.

Bird flu spreads via direct contact with infected birds or their droppings, hence, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission so far. Moreover, the virus has been around us since the year 1996 and since 2020 there has been a massive surge among birds and mammals, killing tens of millions of poultry, and infections in wild birds and marine mammals.