At a glance
- Eating uncooked or undercooked poultry or beef or drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk can make you sick.
- Cooking poultry, eggs, and beef to the appropriate internal temperature kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses.
- Pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses, like avian influenza A viruses, in milk. Make the best decision for your health and the health of your family by always choosing pasteurized milk and products made with it.
Preparing food
For poultry:
- Cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses. People should separate uncooked (raw) poultry from cooked foods and foods that won't be cooked. Cook all poultry and poultry products (including eggs) all the way before eating.
- While there is no evidence that anyone in the United States has gotten infected with avian influenza A viruses after eating properly handled and cooked poultry products, uncooked poultry, and other poultry products (like blood) could have been the source of a small number of avian influenza A virus infections in people in Southeast Asia.
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For beef:
- Cooking beef to the appropriate internal temperature kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses. Cook all beef products thoroughly before eating. Ground beef should reach a safe internal temperature of 160°F and whole cuts of beef should reach 145°F then rest for 3 minutes. Refer to CDC's safer foods table for a complete list of safe internal temperatures.
- Separate uncooked (raw) beef from cooked foods or foods that won't be cooked to prevent cross-contamination.
Unpasteurized (raw) milk safety
- Choosing pasteurized milk and products made with pasteurized milk is the best way to keep you and your family safe.
- Raw milk and products made from raw milk, including soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, can be contaminated with germs that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death.
- Pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses, like avian influenza A viruses, in milk.
- Make the best decision for your health and the health of your family by always choosing pasteurized milk and products made with it.
- Anyone, even healthy adults, can get sick from drinking raw milk.
- Based on the limited research and information available, we do not know at this time if avian influenza A viruses can be transmitted to people through consumption of raw milk and products (such as cheese) made from raw milk from infected cows.
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Raw Milk