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*DRAFT -- 2/24/06*

U.S. Prepares for H5N1 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Angela Harless, USDA (202) 720-4623

March 20, 2006 Frank Quimby, DOI (202) 208-6416

> HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343

# UNITED STATES PREPARES FOR HIGHLY PATHOGENIC H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA IN WILD BIRDS

# Introduction

Avian influenza (AI)---the bird flu---is a disease caused by a virus
that infects domestic poultry, wild birds (geese and ducks and
shorebirds). Each year, there is a bird flu season just as there is for
humans and, as with people, some forms of the flu are worse than others.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in an
increasing number of countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. Currently,
H5N1 avian influenza is *[not]{.underline}* present in the United
States. It is likely the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain will spread to
this country, and the U.S. Government is taking steps to prepare for and
minimize the potential impact of bird flu.

There are a number of ways that highly pathogenic H5N1 could potentially
reach the United States---wild bird migration, illegal smuggling of
birds or poultry products, travel by infected people or people traveling
with virus-contaminated articles from regions where H5N1 already exists.

Historically, highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza have been
detected in domestic poultry populations three times in the United
States: in 1924, 1983 and 2004. There have been no occurrences of highly
pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the United States and no
significant human illness resulted from any of these outbreaks.

-   The 1924 H7 outbreak was contained and eradicated in East Coast live
    bird markets.

-   The 1983-84 H5N2 outbreak resulted in the destruction of
    approximately 17 million chickens, turkeys and guinea fowl in the
    northeastern U.S. to contain and eradicate the disease.

-   In 2004, USDA confirmed an H5N2 outbreak in chickens in the southern
    United States. The disease was quickly eradicated thanks to close
    coordination and cooperation between USDA, state, local and industry
    leaders. Because of the quick response, which included quarantine
    and culling of birds, the disease was limited to one flock.

# Monitoring Bird Health in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture
have proactive interagency efforts underway to monitor wild migratory
birds in the United States and to test statistically significant samples
of populations of various migratory bird species for avian influenza.

USDA and Interior's agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have been working for the past
several months with State of Alaska biologists to strategically sample
live birds, hunter taken birds, sentinel flocks, and the environment
used by these targeted populations for highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu
in the Pacific Flyway. The Interagency Strategic Plan for monitoring of
wild birds, which expands and intensifies their program in 2006, focuses
on this Alaska area because it is a flyway crossroads for migratory
birds that annually return from their winter migration in Asia, and come
in contact with other North American migratory birds that return to
Alaska in the spring from wintering areas in the southern United States
and Central America.

Testing also is being carried out in other migratory bird flyways in
cooperation with state and local agencies. This enhanced monitoring
program will provide an early warning to the agriculture, public health
and wildlife communities should migratory birds be found to carry the
highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.

Since 1998, USDA and the University of Alaska have tested more than
12,000 wild migratory birds in AK and since 2000 USDA and the University
of Georgia have tested more than 4,000 wild birds in the Atlantic
flyway. All birds tested negative for highly pathogenic H5N1. As part of
this enhanced monitoring, in 2006 USDA, DOI and its cooperators plan to
test between 75,000 to 100,000 samples from live and dead birds. Eleven
thousand of the live bird samples will be initially screened by USGS at
its Nat\'l Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI. The remaining samples
will be initially tested at labs certified by USDA in the National
Animal Health Laboratory Network. Suspected findings of highly
pathogenic avian influenza will be further tested and diagnosed by the
USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory lab in Ames, Iowa.

USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Interior's
Fish and Wildlife Service also works with the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security's U.S. Customs and Border Protection at major U.S. air
and seaports to inspect, examine and regulate the importation of live
poultry, commercial birds, pet birds and/or "hatching eggs." Interior
land management agencies, including the National Park Service, FWS,
Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of
Reclamation, are educating their employees and working with stakeholder
and support groups, and preparing protocols to protect visitors and
employees on public lands. (Many of these lands provide nesting,
migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds.
More than 450 million people visit Interior lands annually.) Interior
also has developed a departmental pandemic influenza plan to assure
continuity of operations.

In addition, USDA monitors U.S. domestic and wild bird populations.
Monitoring is conducted in four key areas: live bird markets, commercial
flocks, backyard flocks and migratory bird populations. Frequent testing
occurs in live bird markets and commercial flocks. Additionally, birds
are tested that show signs of illness. To help backyard and smaller
poultry producers, the USDA "Biosecurity for the Birds" program provides
important information about reducing the chances of birds becoming
infected with AI. Biosecurity refers to the application of practical,
common sense management practices to keep AI and other poultry diseases
out of our commercial and backyard flocks.

In the event of a highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak in the United
States, USDA maintains a bank of bird vaccines to protect healthy birds
outside a quarantine area, if necessary. The vaccine would be used to
create a firewall around a quarantine to prevent spread. Currently, USDA
has 40 million available bird vaccine doses, which have been proven
effective against the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. Another 70 million
doses are in development. USDA works closely with its federal, state and
tribal partners, as well as industry stakeholders to ensure that
effective and coordinated emergency response plans are ready should an
outbreak HPAI occur. In addition, USDA researchers are developing faster
diagnostic tests, enhanced vaccines for birds and new information about
how avian influenza spreads so that the United States is better prepared
for avian influenza outbreaks.

# 

## Bird Import Restrictions

As a primary safeguard, USDA maintains trade restrictions on the
importation of poultry and poultry products from countries where the
H5N1 HPAI strain has been detected in commercial or traditionally raised
poultry, not in wild or migratory birds. Additionally, USDA has
increased its monitoring of domestic commercial markets for illegally
smuggled poultry and poultry products.

All imported live birds must be quarantined for 30 days at a USDA
quarantine facility and tested for the avian influenza virus before
entering the country. Home quarantine and testing for AI also is
required for returning U.S.-origin pet birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service works with USDA to communicate these trade restrictions to the
pet bird trade community and incorporates them into decisions on permits
it issues for wild bird trade.

# 

**Guidance for handling wildlife\
**

The Department of Interior's National Wildlife Health Center has issued
guidance to follow routine precautions when handling wild birds. The
Center recommends that people handling wild birds:

-   Do not handle birds that are obviously sick or birds found dead.

-   Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves while handling and cleaning
    game, wash hands with soap and water (or with alcohol-based hand
    products if the hands are not visibly soiled), and thoroughly clean
    knives, equipment and surfaces that come in contact with game.

-   Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling or cleaning birds.

-   Cook all game meat thoroughly (at least to 165˚ F) to kill disease
    organisms and parasites.

## Monitoring Human Health

At present, highly pathogenic avian influenza, such as the highly
pathogenic H5N1 strain, is a disease of birds and is not readily
transmitted to humans. In rare cases, it can be spread from birds to
people primarily as a result of extensive direct contact with raw
infected poultry or poultry droppings. There have been no documented
cases of human highly pathogenic H5N1 disease resulting from contact
with wild birds.

Broad concerns about public health relate to the potential for the virus
to mutate, or change into a form that could spread from person to
person. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is aggressively
working with a team of federal, state and industry partners to ensure
public health is protected.

Since February 2004, HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has provided U.S. public health departments with a series of
alerts providing recommendations for enhanced monitoring for highly
pathogenic H5N1 influenza in the U.S. Distributed through CDC's Health
Alert Network, these alerts reminded public health departments about
recommendations for detecting, diagnosing, and preventing the spread of
highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. The alerts also recommended measures for
laboratory testing for suspected highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.

**Food Safety**

Eating properly handled and cooked poultry is safe. If highly pathogenic
H5N1 were detected in the U.S., the chance of infected poultry entering
the human food chain would be extremely low. Even if it did, proper
cooking kills this virus just as it does many other disease organisms
and parasites. Poultry products imported to the U.S. must meet all
safety standards applied to foods produced in the U.S.

-   Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before
    and after handling food;

-   Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, fish, and
    their juices away from other foods;

-   After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, knife, and counter tops
    with hot, soapy water;

-   Sanitize cutting boards by using a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine
    bleach in 1 quart of water; and

-   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˚ F to kill foodborne germs that might be present, including the
    avian influenza virus.

## Planning for Pandemic Influenza

Should highly pathogenic H5N1 arrive in the U.S., it does not signal an
influenza pandemic. Nonetheless, the HHS has been preparing for pandemic
influenza for several years. Ongoing preparations include the following:

-   Working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and with other
    nations to help detect human cases of bird flu and contain a flu
    pandemic, if one begins

-   Supporting the manufacturing and testing of influenza vaccines,
    including finding more reliable and quicker ways to make large
    quantities of vaccines

-   Developing a national stockpile of antiviral drugs to help treat and
    control the spread of disease

-   Supporting the efforts of federal, state, tribal, and local health
    agencies to prepare for and respond to pandemic influenza

-   Working with federal agencies to prepare and to encourage
    communities, businesses, and organizations to plan for pandemic
    influenza

Each individual and family should know both the magnitude of what can
happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions can be taken to help
lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on themselves and their
community.

To plan for a pandemic:

-   Store a supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot
    get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be
    important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful
    in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.

-   Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand,
    including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold
    medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.

-   Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be
    cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them
    in your home.

-   Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency
    response.

-   Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an
    influenza pandemic.

To limit the spread of germs and prevent infection:

-   Teach your children to wash hands frequently with soap and water,
    and model the correct behavior.

-   Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and be
    sure to model that behavior.

-   Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if
    they are sick. Stay home from work and school if sick.

Knowing the facts is the best preparation. Identify sources you can
count on for reliable information. If a pandemic occurs, having accurate
and reliable information will be critical.

-   Reliable, accurate, and timely information is available at
    [www.pandemicflu.gov](http://www.pandemicflu.gov/).

-   Another source for information on pandemic influenza is the Centers
    for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at:
    1---800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). This line is available in English
    and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY: 1-888-232-6348.
    Questions can be e-mailed to <cdcinfo@cdc.gov>.

-   Look for information on your local and state government Web sites.
    Links are available to each state department of public health at
    [www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab2.html](http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab2.html).

-   Listen to local and national radio, watch news reports on
    television, and read your newspaper and other sources of printed and
    Web-based information.

-   Talk to your local health care providers and public health
    officials.

### Additional Information 

For more information about avian influenza:

-   [www.usda.gov/birdflu](http://www.usda.gov/birdflu)

-   [www.nwhc.usgs.gov/research/avian_influenza/avian_influenza.html](http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/research/avian_influenza/avian_influenza.html)

-   [www.pandemicflu.gov](http://www.pandemicflu.gov/)