Is it possible to kill a virus that lives in poultry?

I have been researching the avian flu all morning, and it says that to "kill" the virus that is in poultry (like your Thanksgiving Turkey) you should just cook it to 165 degrees. But...

From all I was taught in college, school and elsewhere I remember that viruses are inanimate...they are not living like bacteria, so you can not kill them, that's why you can't "cure" a cold or flu, you just have to ride it out.

So my question is...Are they just feeding us something we want to hear? Or is it actually possible to 'kill' a flu virus?

(Information recieved from http://www.pandemicflu.gov)
Use a food thermometer to ensure food has reached the safe internal temperature - in all parts of the bird. Cook poultry to at least 165掳F to kill food-borne germs that might be present, including the avian influenza virus.

Thanks for your input.

Cooking will kill the virus. While viruses are sometimes not considered "live," they do share some of the characteristics of something that is living. One of those is the fact that it has a protein coat, and if that is destroyed (which is what cooking does), then the virus cannot function. It's somewhat similar to expecting to use a computer to look at a web page after you've smashed it with a sledgehammer!

They can be denatured at high temperatures... thus "killing" them in a sense.. because they are no longer active.

The WHO (World Health Organization) says people cannot become infected with Avian flu if food is properly cooked.

Happy Thanksgiving!