Bird flu might impact price, but not safety of Thanksgiving turkey

Turkeys are supposed to go "gobble-gobble," not "Ah-CHOO!" 

But bird flu is on the rise in the U.S. again. 

The recent jump in cases might hike the price of your Thanksgiving, but it won’t make dinner unsafe. Cooking poultry to 165°F kills the virus. Plus, infected poultry is unlikely to appear in the food supply in the first place. 

To ease your mind, here’s a quick flap through need-to-knows about bird flu ahead of the holiday week.

What is bird flu?

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a naturally occurring disease among wild birds, including ducks and geese, that can also infect domesticated birds, such as chickens and turkeys.

The U.S. has been battling flu outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks since 2022. After a summer lull, cases are rising again. Because avian flu spreads quickly and is untreatable in animals, if even one bird in a flock is infected, the entire flock is culled.

The American Farm Bureau reported in October that since the beginning of the outbreak, 18.7 million turkeys were affected. Including chickens and other poultry, over 180 million birds across more than 1,800 flocks had been affected as of Nov. 20. 

Bird flu raised wholesale turkey prices, retail price impact is unclear

The outbreak is pushing wholesale turkey prices higher. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest Weekly National Turkey Report (yes, that’s a thing) from Nov. 14 lists the cost of a whole frozen turkey as $1.77 a pound for an 8 to 16 pound bird. That’s up from 97¢ per pound during the same week last year. 

It’s less clear how that affects retail prices. 

The American Farm Bureau’s annual Thanksgiving dinner survey found the average retail price for a 16-lb turkey was down 16% percent from last year, at an average of $1.34 per pound. This price drop, despite rising wholesale costs, might be from grocery stores offering Thanksgiving deals to draw consumers in. Retailers often treat turkeys as a "loss leader," which means companies accept losses on that item and make up the difference from customers’ purchases of other, higher-margin items.

Purdue’s Center for Food Demand Analysis & Sustainability, on the other hand, estimates the price will be higher than last year at $2.05 per pound, a 25% increase. 

Prices for a turkey can vary by size, quality, and the store where you buy it, so shop wisely. 

Cooked turkey is safe to eat

Unless you’re looking for an excuse to cancel, you can tell Aunt Marge turkey dinner is still on. 

Cooking poultry and eggs to 165°F kills viruses, including bird flu. Assuming that your food is properly prepared and cooked, it’s safe to eat. This is also a reminder to thaw your turkey!

You should follow safe cooking guidelines no matter what, but there are other safeguards in place to prevent bird flu from entering the food supply.

Laws require that all meat and poultry sold commercially pass USDA safety inspection. 

A USDA spokesperson told PolitiFact that inspectors are present at all federally regulated processing and slaughtering facilities. "Our inspectors verify that facilities maintain sanitary conditions, handle animals humanely, and that their food safety systems are working to prevent contamination with harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella."  

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service also samples and tests products to make sure they meet safety standards. 

Can humans get bird flu? 

Yes, but it’s rare. Infections can happen when the bird flu virus enters a person’s eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled.

But you can be infected only by an animal. There have been no cases of human-to-human transmission.

People who work with livestock are most at risk of contracting the virus. Since 2024, the CDC has confirmed 71 human cases in the U.S., resulting in one death. The CDC says the public health risk is still low.

Cows get bird flu, too 

Since 2024, bird flu has also been detected in dairy cows and their milk. The USDA is monitoring the milk supply; the best way to stay safe is to drink pasteurized milk, not raw milk. 

Pasteurization, which involves briefly heating milk to below boiling, kills bird flu and other viruses. Most grocery store milk and dairy products are pasteurized. 

The USDA has found no evidence of the virus in the beef supply. Plus, a safety study the agency conducted found that even after injecting beef patties with high levels of the virus, cooking them to 145°F killed the virus. 

So Happy Thanksgiving, tell Aunt Marge I said hi and order that meat thermometer!