FAO assesses risk of foodborne avian influenza A (H5N1) transmission as negligible

The risk of acquiring avian influenza A (H5N1) infection from food remains negligible, especially when food safety practices like pasteurization and adequate cooking are applied.   This is the conclusion of The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as recently reported in a Preliminary rapid risk assessment of foodborne avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.

Hazards and risks are not the same thing.  A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm.  In contrast, risk is the likelihood, or chance, and extent that harm may occur. Although very rare, avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, like other pathogens transmissible to people from animals, has the potential to make people sick. It can be considered a hazard.  The only people who have contracted avian influenza A (H5N1) are those with close contact with live or dead animals with the disease. Thus, it is the contact with infected, sick, or animals— from breathing the virus into the lungs or contact with the eyes—that poses a risk for human infection, albeit this risk is low to moderate. Individuals in contact with infected animals should take precautions, like wearing protective equipment, to reduce their risks of infection.

When it comes to food, the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus was reported in meat and in eggs from infected poultry over 25 years ago.  More recently, fragments of non-infectious virus have been detected in pasteurized milk and in the muscle tissue from one infected dairy cow. Pasteurization and cooking are extremely effective at destroying the virus, reducing the risk that consumers will be exposed to infectious viruses.   There have been no confirmed cases of people becoming infected from eating foods contaminated with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. 

Consumption of only milk that has been pasteurized and fully cooking eggs and meat is strongly encouraged, as these food safety practices reduce the risks associated with other microbiological hazards (e.g.  Salmonella, Listeria) in foods.   Consumers should feel confident that they will not acquire avian influenza A (H5N1) from food.  FAO continues to follow the science surrounding this issue and will update their assessment as necessary.

The publication is available here

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Photo: © FAO/Maxim Zmeyev