Via The News.pl, a Polish source: Bird flu virus found in meat in shops in north Poland. The complete report:
In the Pomorze region 480 kg of turkey meat has been found to contain the bird flu virus.
Also it has been announced due to the outbreak in Płock, central Poland, that information bulletins will be passed out in schools tomorrow, Monday December 3rd. Local priests have also stepped in to supply information to local residents.
Ongoing research is being carried out it infected areas in farms around the town of Płock. Vehicles passing through the area are also being disinfected.
Anna Obuchowska, spokeswoman for the Sanitary Inspectorate in the Pomorze region, has stated that the meat came from two warehouses, in Żukow and Sierakowice.
The Żukow plant supplied meat to shops in Gdańsk and Gdynia, with the Sierakowice source providing shops in Człuchów, Chojnice, Kościerzyna and Kartuzy.
Obuchowska has said that there is a search for remaining meat in the shops, but it is unlikely that any remains, as the turkey meat was delivered to the shops at the beginning of the previous week.
Shop employees are under surveillance by the Saniitory Inspectorate for their own safety.
Avian flu has the same effects as 'normal' flu, and can be treated with the same anti-viral treatment, including Tamiflu.
Specialists have stated that meat preparation at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius should kill any viruses that were present in the meat before its preparation are safe to eat.
For the benefit of visitors accustomed to the Imperial system, 480 kilos equals 1,058 pounds, or about half a ton. That's a lot of turkey.
I suppose the questions now are these: Did the turkeys show any flu symptoms before they were slaughtered and processed? If they did, Poland needs to change (or enforce) some hygiene rules. If they didn't show any symptoms, that in itself would be an important development.
Update: SophiaZoe has a good discussion of safe consumption of chicken.
