Bird Flu Center

A batch of frozen poultry illegally introduced into the Detroit area from bird flu affected provinces in China has alarmed Michigan state authorities. It is likely that consumers have already eaten meat from this package, but proper cooking is known to destroy the avian flu virus, so concerns should be only mild. The frozen poultry consists of geese, ducks and chickens with their intestines still intact and was purchased by a warehouse owner in Troy which is the supplier for around 300 Chinese and Asian restaurants and grocery stores in Michigan. The owner has now disappeared and is facing criminal charges for his actions. It is unknown whether or not any of the meat was contaminated with the bird flu virus, but its origins are reasons for concern. Meat from the warehouse was destroyed by federal officials before it could be tested. The virus can survive in the birds’ intestines, but it is killed when the meat is thoroughly cooked.