USDA Study: Cooking Ground Beef to 145°F or Well Done Kills Bird Flu Virus Amid Dairy Cattle Outbreak

May 16, 2024, 05:56 PM

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 145°F, or roughly medium, effectively kills the H5N1 bird flu virus. This conclusion comes from a recent study where beef inoculated with an H5N1 virus surrogate showed no virus present at 145°F and 160°F. However, the USDA noted that some virus remained at 120°F. The study was conducted to address concerns over a bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle and to reaffirm consumer confidence. USDA officials also mentioned that the virus was not found in beef cooked to well done and that they haven't made much headway testing farm workers.