‘Here’s the bad news’: Expert shares which eggs to buy if you’re concerned about bird flu

The first human case of bird flu was reported in the United States in April. Six months later, the number jumped to 66 in 10 states. Amid the rise of the disease, some people are taking preventive measures, the main one being avoiding dairy and poultry products. 

If you want to eat eggs but are afraid of catching the bird flu, TikTok user and physician Terry Simpson (@drterrysimpson) reveals which eggs to buy.

What is the bird flu?

The bird flu is a respiratory infection in birds and other animals but can spread to humans. Typically, humans can catch this from coming into contact with an affected animal’s bodily fluids through touch or breathing it in.

So far, there haven't been any person-to-person cases in the U.S. Cleveland Clinic reveals the symptoms of conjunctivitis (a.k.a. pink eye), fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, nausea, vomiting diarrhea, stuffy or runny nose, and shortness of breath.

Safe eggs to eat amid bird flu

“How do you know if the egg that have could have bird flu and should you eat runny yolks in the egg?” the health and medical expert asks his 1.1 million followers.  Before diving into this, he shares how eggs are a breeding ground for influenza.

“Well, here’s the bad news. The bad news is that we use eggs to grow influenza viruses,” he states. “Influenza grows great in eggs and the temperature for your runny yolk or over easy or medium isn’t enough to denature that virus to make it so it’s not a problem for you. And yes, you could get a virus from an infected egg.”

On the flip side, Dr. Simpson there is a way to prevent this. “The good news is that most of the time, chickens show that they have symptoms before they even lay an egg,” he reveals. “They get sick, they don’t lay eggs, and they are called from the herd immediately.”

Since the sick chicken is focused on fighting the illness, they lay little to no eggs. 

Additionally, the doctor reassures viewers how to keep yourself safe from bird flu. “You either have to have the egg made over hard or you can buy pasteurized eggs,” he says. “Pasteurization de-natures the virus.” 

“So, if you’re looking for a good egg and you’re worried about this, pasteurize it,” he concludes.

Viewers have mixed opinions 

Because of the doctor’s advice, some felt reassured to eat eggs again.

“Oh, I actually have been looking for this information. We have a backyard flock and am worried. But now I’ll definitely be scrambling my eggs anyway,” one viewer wrote.

“OK, I’m so glad that you gave an alternative to eating it over hard and cause I literally rather die [than] eat an over hard egg,” another commented.

However, the bird flu was enough for others to ditch them.

“No thanks! I’ll skip the eggs. Tofu or an easy mung bean egg recipe will work fine for me, thanks,” one user remarked.

“I'm just gonna avoid eggs [altogether],” a second stated. 

But a third asked, “Where can I find pasteurized eggs, though?”

Stores that sell pasteurized eggs

These are available at a grocery store near you. Because they are difficult to find, here’s a quick DIY pasteurize eggs on a stove top from Alpha Foodie:

• Fill a saucepan one inch above the eggs in cold water 
• Place the eggs into the saucepan 
• Heat the saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 140ºF
• Keep the temperature stable for three and a half minutes. You can do this by adding more cold water or slightly lowering the heat
• Afterward, move the eggs into a pot of ice water
• Once they cool down, refrigerate them

@drterrysimpson Can you get the bird flu from eating eggs? #bird #birds #birdflu #influenza #flu #fluseason #cooked #cookedeggs #overeasy #egg #eggs #breakfast #milk #raw #rawmilk #dairy #farm #food #medical #news #medicalupdate #medicine #medicineexplained #virus #viral #pandemic #chicken #chickens #chickensoftiktok #pastureraised #pasturizedeggs #doctor #dr #doctorsoftiktok #doctors #doctorlife #virologist #farming #viruss #tiktokggt ♬ original sound - Dr. Terry Simpson, MD, FACS

The Daily Dot reached out to Simpson via TikTok comment and direct message.  The video racked up over 450,000 views. 

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