Advice to consumers: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Safefood (the cross-Border food safety promotion board) yesterday reiterated their advice that chicken and other poultry were safe to eat.
They both moved to reassure consumers that there was no risk from eating properly cooked poultry or eggs.
Cooking kills the virus quickly, within seconds of reaching 70 degrees, the temperature which poultry should reach throughout to be considered properly cooked, they stated.
The agencies said avian flu was a poultry disease and those humans that have been infected had been in direct contact with live or dead infected birds.
They said the current strain of H5N1 remained primarily a disease of birds - and even if there was an outbreak of avian flu in Ireland, it would not constitute a human pandemic.
"When handling raw poultry, the person involved in the food preparation should always wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Surfaces and utensils in contact with uncooked poultry products should also be thoroughly cleaned," the agencies stated.
