| USDA
has begun testing a limited number of U.S. chicken flocks
to detect any sign of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza
virus. The Department is also testing migratory birds in
Alaska. Migratory birds are suspected of carrying the virus
to Turkey, Romania, Russia, and Croatia. No cases of the
strain have been found in the United States.
"For
more than two decades, USDA has worked to prepare for and
prevent an outbreak of dangerous strains of avian influenza
in our country," Deputy USDA Secretary Chuck Conner said
in a statement. "We also have strict importation restrictions
to prevent the spread of the virus in our country and an
elaborate surveillance system in place to monitor our bird
populations."
Conner
and other USDA officials held a technical briefing to discuss
the federal government's surveillance system. To help detect
the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, USDA said
it has more than 40,000 private veterinarians across the
nation watching for the disease. USDA is also working with
the U.S. chicken and turkey industries to randomly test
commercial flocks and poultry showing signs of illness.
USDA scientists have also been testing wild migratory birds
since 1998 in the Alaska flyway.
USDA
also maintains a supply of avian influenza vaccine for poultry
that could be used to create a buffer zone if the disease
is ever found in the United States. Last year, five U.S.
states had an outbreak of a low-pathogenic strain of the
disease.
An
outbreak of avian influenza could devastate the U.S. poultry
industry. The United States is one of the world's largest
exporters of chicken meat - some $1.8 billion in fiscal
2005.
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