From Linda Larsen,
Your Guide to Busy Cooks.
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An important point was raised on one of the listserves I subscribe to. What, if anything, will happen to the poultry market when the bird flu makes an appearance in a country, particularly the United States? Will that market be affected as much as the beef industry was with mad cow disease news?

My impeccable source on these matters, Dr. O. Peter Snyder, says that we should not worry. He says "(the bird flu) will have an effect on chicken consumption, and for a while, people will be fearful and eat less chicken. Then, people will realize it doesn't hurt the ordinary citizen and we will eat as much chicken as ever." There isn't any scientific justification for worrying about chicken products and the bird flu. Cooking chicken to 165 degrees F kills the virus. Practicing safe food handling techniques will keep you safe from this minimal risk as well.

The important thing to remember is that people who are catching the bird flu as it currently exists, with bird to human transmission, are living with the live birds. There is a high risk of cross contamination in these situations. Farmers can be vaccinated against the flu, since they are at a higher risk. Dr. Snyder says that ducks carry and transmit the virus through their poop, so be careful around ponds and lakes where ducks congregate.

But the important point is that human beings have an amazing ability to build up resistance, or immunity, to many diseases. He says "...we will eventually build up an immunity and (the bird flu) will become another tolerated disease like West Nile virus... We can slow it down and minimize the number of deaths."

And finally, Dr. Snyder says that Salmonella in food is the big killer of human beings. Approximately 500 people a year die from this bacteria. Cook chicken properly, wash your hands frequently, wash work surfaces and utensils, avoid cross contamination, and chill and store food properly and you and your family will stay healthy.