According to World Health Organization guidelines on food safety, the bird flu virus cannot be transmitted through poultry food that has been cooked beyond which minimum internal temperature?

Introduction / Context:
Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a viral infection that can spread among birds and, in rare cases, can infect humans. Public health organisations such as the World Health Organization provide guidelines on how to safely handle and cook poultry so that the virus is destroyed and food remains safe to eat. This question asks about the minimum cooking temperature beyond which the bird flu virus cannot survive in food, a key fact in health and hygiene related general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The disease mentioned is bird flu or avian influenza.
• The focus is on safe cooking temperature for food, particularly poultry.
• The options are 60, 70, 90, and 100 degrees Celsius.
• We assume standard WHO style recommendations on internal cooking temperature for safe consumption.

Concept / Approach:
The crucial concept is that viruses and bacteria in food are killed when the food is heated to sufficiently high temperatures for an adequate period of time. For avian influenza viruses in poultry meat, WHO and similar agencies recommend cooking so that all parts of the food reach at least 70 degrees Celsius. At this internal temperature, the virus is effectively inactivated, making the meat safe to eat if it has been cooked thoroughly. Temperatures lower than this may not reliably kill all pathogens, while higher temperatures like 90 or 100 degrees Celsius exceed the minimum requirement but are not necessary to state in the guideline.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that WHO guidelines emphasise thorough cooking of poultry products during bird flu outbreaks.Step 2: Remember the specific advice that all parts of the meat should reach at least 70 degrees Celsius so that the virus and common bacteria are destroyed.Step 3: Compare the options and identify which temperature matches this minimum threshold.Step 4: Note that 60 degrees Celsius may be too low to guarantee elimination of all viruses, according to food safety standards.Step 5: Select 70 degrees Celsius as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an alternative check, you can recall other food safety recommendations that often specify temperatures around 70 degrees Celsius for poultry and reheated dishes. In consumer health information and exam oriented notes on bird flu, the advice is consistently framed as cook food well so that it reaches 70 degrees Celsius, at which point the virus is considered inactivated. Temperatures of 90 or 100 degrees Celsius are certainly high enough but are not the typical standard figure quoted, which confirms that 70 degrees Celsius is the required answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
60 degrees Celsius: This temperature may not always be sufficient to kill all harmful organisms, and it is lower than the widely recommended safe cooking threshold for poultry.

90 degrees Celsius: While cooking to 90 degrees Celsius would also inactivate the virus, the question asks about the minimum temperature beyond which transmission cannot occur, and that threshold is set at 70 degrees Celsius, not 90.
100 degrees Celsius: This is the boiling point of water at sea level and certainly high enough, but official guidelines specifically mention 70 degrees Celsius as the safety benchmark, so 100 degrees Celsius is not the correct minimum threshold in the context of the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may choose 100 degrees Celsius by assuming that only boiling temperatures are safe, while others may pick 60 degrees Celsius by underestimating how heat resistant some pathogens can be. The best strategy is to memorise standard health guideline numbers, especially those used repeatedly in exams, such as 70 degrees Celsius for safe cooking of poultry in the context of bird flu. This helps avoid both overestimation and underestimation of the necessary temperature.

Final Answer:
According to WHO guidelines, the bird flu virus cannot be transmitted through food cooked beyond 70 degrees Celsius.