Editing Poultry (section)

==Health and disease (humans)==
[[File:LemonChicken2.jpg|thumb|left|Cuts from plucked [[Chicken (food)|chickens]]]]

{{asof|2022|post=,}} no clinical trials have assessed poultry intake on human health.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Connolly G, Clark CM, Campbell RE, Byers AW, Reed JB, Campbell WW |year=2022|title=Poultry Consumption and Human Health: How Much Is Really Known? A Systematically Searched Scoping Review and Research Perspective|journal=Advances in Nutrition|volume=13|issue=6|pages=2115–2124|doi=10.1093/advances/nmac074|pmid=36351778|pmc=9776623}}</ref> Poultry meat and eggs provide nutritionally beneficial food containing protein of high quality. This is accompanied by low levels of fat which have a favourable mix of fatty acids.<ref name=FAOhealth>{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/themes/en/poultry/human_health.html |title=Poultry and human health |date=August 1, 2013 |publisher=FAO |access-date=February 25, 2014}}</ref> Chicken meat contains about two to three times as much [[polyunsaturated fat]] as most types of [[red meat]] when measured by weight.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nuinfo-proto4.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/lipids.html |title=Feinberg School: Nutrition Fact Sheet: Lipids |publisher=Northwestern University |access-date=August 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720014201/http://nuinfo-proto4.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/lipids.html |archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> However, for boneless, skinless chicken breast, the amount is much lower. {{Convert|100|g}} of raw chicken breast contains {{Convert|2|g}} of fat and {{Convert|22|g}} of protein, compared to {{Convert|9|g}} of fat and {{Convert|20|g}} of protein for the same portion of raw [[Cut of beef|beef flank]] steak.<ref>{{Cite web |last=United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service |author-link=Agricultural Research Service |title=FoodData Central {{!}} Chicken, breast, boneless, skinless, raw |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2646170/nutrients |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=fdc.nal.usda.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service |author-link=Agricultural Research Service |title=FoodData Central {{!}} Beef, flank, steak, boneless, choice, raw |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2646175/nutrients |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=fdc.nal.usda.gov}}</ref>

A 2011 study by the [[Translational Genomics Research Institute]] showed that 47% of the [[meat]] and poultry sold in [[United States]] grocery stores was contaminated with ''[[Staphylococcus aureus]]'', and 52% of the bacteria concerned showed resistance to at least three groups of antibiotics. Thorough cooking of the product would kill these bacteria, but a risk of cross-contamination from improper handling of the raw product is still present.<ref>{{cite news |title=US meat and poultry is widely contaminated with drug-resistant Staph bacteria, study finds |author=The Translational Genomics Research Institute |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415083153.htm |newspaper=Science Daily |date=April 15, 2011 |access-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref> Also, some risk is present for consumers of poultry meat and eggs to bacterial infections such as ''[[Salmonella]]'' and ''[[Campylobacter]]''. Poultry products may become contaminated by these bacteria during handling, processing, marketing, or storage, resulting in [[food-borne illness]] if the product is improperly cooked or handled.<ref name=FAOhealth/><!-- these species do not cause food poisoning like Staph -->

In general, [[avian influenza]] is a disease of birds caused by bird-specific [[influenza A virus]] that is not normally transferred to people; however, people in contact with live poultry are at the greatest risk of becoming infected with the virus and this is of particular concern in areas such as Southeast Asia, where the disease is [[Endemism|endemic]] in the wild bird population and domestic poultry can become infected. The virus possibly could mutate to become highly virulent and infectious in humans and cause an [[influenza pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/ |title=Information on Avian Influenza |work=Seasonal Influenza (Flu) |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=March 3, 2014}}</ref>

Bacteria can be grown in the laboratory on nutrient culture media, but viruses need living cells in which to replicate. Many [[vaccine]]s to [[infectious disease]]s can be grown in fertilised chicken eggs. Millions of eggs are used each year to generate the annual flu vaccine requirements, a complex process that takes about six months after the decision is made as to what strains of virus to include in the new vaccine. A problem with using eggs for this purpose is that people with egg [[Allergy|allergies]] are unable to be immunised, but this disadvantage may be overcome as new techniques for cell-based rather than egg-based culture become available.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm336267.htm |title=The evolution, and revolution, of flu vaccines |date=January 18, 2013 |work=FDA: Consumer updates |publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |access-date=March 6, 2014}}</ref> Cell-based culture will also be useful in a [[pandemic]] when it may be difficult to acquire a sufficiently large quantity of suitable sterile, fertile eggs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/vaccines-pandemic-threats |title=Vaccines for pandemic threats |date=January 15, 2014 |work=The History of Vaccines |access-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref>