>> When the virus-laden beef patties were cooked to 120°F degrees (rare), however, the tests found evidence of the virus, but at much reduced levels [0]
Sorry, to your point about handling... if this is prevalent in fat and muscle tissue of otherwise healthy cattle then it is totally unlike pathogens introduced during slaughter, packing, grinding or food prep handling. Do you understand what I mean? Prior to this, other than prion diseases, pathogens inside muscle tissue basically did not exist in the modern beef meat supply. The only pathogens were introduced onto the outer surface during slaughter or handling. Cut away the outside and don't put it through a grinder and you can eat any piece of beef from a US supermarket raw. Up until now. Now we're talking about the interior volume of everything being loaded with a live virus.
That drastically increases risk in handling and consumption.
[0] https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/usda-exp...