Like others, we are closely monitoring the Avian Flu situation around the globe, and have mobilized a team to proactively create contingency plans in case we have to address this issue. We are working with our suppliers, government officials and restaurant teams to safeguard our food supply.

Importantly, the World Health Organization has said properly cooked chicken is perfectly safe to eat, and all our food is cooked at a high temperature to ensure it is safe and free of Avian Flu.

Video Clips/Sound Bytes
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns speaks on Avian Influenza Awareness
Video clip (40 sec): 256K

USDA Sound Bytes on Avian Influenza Awareness
Video clip (5:16 sec): 256K

The World Health Organization Food Safety Director Jorgen Schlundt’s comment regarding Avian Influenza and cooked chicken.
Video clip (4 sec): 56K | 256K

Press Release
Statement by Dr. LEE Jong-Wook, WHO Director-General. The World Health Organization reconfirms that, when poultry products are safely handled and properly cooked, humans are not at risk of acquiring H5N1 infection through food. (Source: WHO)
Read press release

Listed below are frequently asked questions about the Avian Influenza.  To learn more, please visit the following websites:

U.S. Government Official Pandemic Flu website
World Health Organization website
Centers for Disease Control website

(Source:  The World Health Organization and the official U.S. government website for information on pandemic flu and Avian Invfluenza and www.pandemicflu.gov,.)

Can you get Avian Flu from eating cooked chicken?
No. According to the World Health Organization, you cannot get the flu from eating properly cooked chicken.

What is Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)?
Bird Flu is an infection caused by Avian (Bird) Influenza (Flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, Bird Flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

How does Bird Flu spread?
Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of Bird Flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. The spread of Avian Influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person.

Do Bird Flu viruses infect humans?
Bird Flu viruses do not usually infect humans, but several cases of human infection with Bird Flu viruses have occurred since 1997.

What is an Avian Influenza A virus?
Influenza A virus is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds. Like all Bird Flu viruses, the virus circulates among birds worldwide, is very contagious among birds, and can be deadly.

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