Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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A close-up of a sunny-side-up egg cooking in a textured black pan. The yolk is vibrant yellow, and the whites are cooked with light browning at the edges. Subtle, glowing, microscopic virus-like shapes are faintly embedded in the egg whites, blending naturally into the scene under warm lighting.

726. Sunny Side Up Egg From a Bird Infected With Bird Flu

January 29, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from sunny side up egg from a bird infected with bird flu.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • SHensley: "@benjaminchapman.bsky.social @bugcounter.bsky.social Georgia is like 15% of the US poultry production. Eggs sunny side up from a chicken with bird flu #riskyornot? www.wjcl.com/article/geor..." — Bluesky
  • Full article: Heat inactivation of avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses in egg products
  • The Impact of Holding Time on the Likelihood of Moving Internally Contaminated Eggs from a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Infected but Undetected Commercial Table-Egg Layer Flock | Avian Diseases
  • Full article: Avian influenza viruses in poultry products: a review
  • Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Egg Pasteurization Processes on the Inactivation of High-Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus and Velogenic Newcastle Disease Virus in Processed Egg Products - ScienceDirect
  • Detection of Influenza A Viruses in Eggs Laid by Infected Turkeys | Avian Diseases
  • Questions and Answers Regarding the Safety of Eggs During Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreaks | FDA
  • Interagency Risk Assessment for the Public Health Impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Poultry, Shell Eggs, and Egg Products (May 2010) | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Executive Summary, Interagency Risk Assessment for the Public Health Impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Poultry, Shell Eggs, and Egg Products - May 2010
  • Interagency Risk Assessment for the Public Health Impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Poultry, Shell Eggs, and Egg Products Conducted by FSIS in collaboration with FDA and APHIS
  • USDA Questions and Answers: Food Safety and Avian Influenza April 2015
  • Skibidi Toilet - Season 1 [FULL SCREEN] - YouTube
January 29, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Eggs, HPAI, Bird flu, Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Cooking

The image depicts a man standing next to a bulldozer on a landfill. He appears worried, gazing at a pile of chicken feathers, beaks, and feet amidst the trash. The setting is overcast, with debris scattered around, creating a somber and tense atmosphere.

725. Landfilling Ground Up HPAI Infected Chickens Without PPE

January 27, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of workers landfilling ground up highly pathogenic avian influenza infected chickens without personal protective equipment.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • TWiV 1178: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin — This Week in Virology — Overcast
  • CDC Interim Guidance for Landfill Workers in the United States Disposing of Poultry Carcasses During Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
  • NJ Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) “Bird Flu” FAQ
  • Survival rate of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses at different temperatures - ScienceDirect
  • Survivability of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus in Poultry Faeces at Different Temperatures - PMC
January 27, 2025 /Don Schaffner
HPAI, Personal protective equipment, Highly pathogenic avian influenza, PPE

DALL·E - A nice aged piece of cheddar (?) cheese with a rich, golden-yellow color and a few holes, sitting on a rustic wooden board. Around the cheese, there are a few unhappy microbes.

618. Raw Cheese Made With Milk Containing HPAI

May 22, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming raw milk cheese made with milk containing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Cheddar Cheese as a Vehicle for Viruses - ScienceDirect
  • Poliovirus - Wikipedia
  • Interagency Risk Assessment for the Public Health Impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Poultry, Shell Eggs, and Egg Products (May 2010) | Food Safety and Inspection Service
May 22, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, Viruses, Raw milk, Cheese

DALL·E - A close-up of a clear glass filled with raw milk, placed on a wooden table. The milk looks cold and creamy. Surrounding the glass and within the milk are many happy microbes.

617. HPAI in Pasteurized Milk

May 20, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in pasteurized milk.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • EPI-WIN
  • How CDC is monitoring influenza data to better understand the current avian influenza A (H5N1) situation in people | Avian Influenza (Flu)
  • Emergence and interstate spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in dairy cattle
  • Bird Flu Highlights Concerns Around Raw Milk - The New York Times
  • Early Release - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus Infection in Domestic Dairy Cattle and Cats, United States, 2024 - Volume 30, Number 7—July 2024 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
  • The surprising physics of cats’ drinking | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Experiment (100x slower) - YouTube
  • Cutta Cutta (67x slower) - YouTube
  • Virginia Tech, MIT, Princeton collaborate on cat study that shows intriguing gravity issues
  • How Cats Lap: Water Uptake by Felis catus | Science
May 20, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, Viruses, Milk, Pasteurization

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