47% of Americans believe eating chicken can spread bird flu

In a poll that uncovered a potentially devastating effect on the poultry industry, the Center for Consumer freedom reports that nearly half of Americans mistakenly believe they can contract bird flu by eating chicken. It’s a finding that indicates the poultry industry could suffer a much worse fate than did the beef industry when BSE was first reported in the US almost 2 years ago.

Forty-seven percent of respondents – including an amazing forty-two percent of supposedly highly-educated college graduates -- agreed with the false statement that eating an infected chicken can result in bird-flu transmission. The poll, which sampled the opinions of 1,007 Americans, was commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) and conducted by Opinion Research Corporation.

Sensing the potential impact on their core business, KFC already plans to have television commercials ready to reassure customers that chicken is safe to eat in the event of a bird flu outbreak. “We’ll keep them on the shelf and hope not to use them,” Jonathan Blum, spokesman for KFC’s parent, Yum Brands Inc., said. The spots are expected to be shot soon.

KFC, the largest fast food purveyor of chicken, will respond quickly in case of bird flu outbreaks in any of its markets. “We’re keeping our fingers on the pulse of what happens day in and day out around the world,” Blum said. “And we are taking action in terms of preparing for this in the event it becomes an eventuality in any market.”

Here’s the cold, hard fact: cooked poultry simply cannot transmit the virus to a human being. Even if an infected bird reached the U.S. food supply, which is extremely unlikely, properly cooking it would kill the avian influenza virus. David Martosko, CCF’s Director of Research, said “The most common route of infection from bird flu is direct contact with a sick bird. But few Americans have ever handled a live chicken.”

Survey Methodology
The survey of 1,007 adults nationwide was conducted by telephone on October 14, 2005 by Opinion Research Corporation. The margin of error is plus or minus three percent.

Question: Avian flu has been in the news recently. How do you believe a person gets infected with Avian flu? You can answer yes to multiple options.
Coming in contact with someone who already has Avian Flu 58%
Coming in contact with a live chicken that has Avian Flu 54%
Eating an infected chicken 47%

Even if bird flu makes the big biological leap and becomes easily transmissible human-to-human, the most common form of infection is direct contact. With another human. So stay away from sick people.

Here are a few suggestions when flu season starts:
1. It probably won’t be bird flu
2. Wash your hands
3. Get a flu shot
4. Wash your hands often
5. Stay home if you’re sick
6. Cook your food thoroughly
7. Did I say wash your hands?