http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001457.html U.S. to Increase Testing Of Wild Birds for Avian Flu By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 21, 2006; Page A05 Federal officials announced plans yesterday to sharply increase testing of wild birds to try to detect the arrival of the deadly avian flu in the United States as early as possible and stanch any outbreaks of disease. With the virus spreading worldwide, officials predicted it could show up in this country as early as later this year, most likely in wild birds during their annual migration from Asia through Alaska. Special Report Track the latest developments in the spread of the deadly H5N1 influenza virus. • MAP: Bird Flu's Toll | PHOTOS • Facts About Bird Flu » FULL COVERAGE Who's Blogging? Read what bloggers are saying about this article. A DC Birding Blog BitchNews Political Mess Blog Full List of Blogs (3 links) » Most Blogged About Articles On washingtonpost.com | On the web Save & Share Tag This Article Saving options 1. Save to description: Headline (required) Byline 2. Save to notes (255 character max): Blurb 3. Tag This Article "It is increasingly likely that we will detect a highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu in birds within U.S. borders, possibly as early as this year," Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton said in announcing the plan with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. "We are working together to expand our early-warning system." The dangerous bird flu virus, known as H5N1, has spread from Asia into parts of Europe and Africa, killing or forcing the destruction of millions of chickens and other birds. So far the virus has mainly affected birds, but it has killed 98 people -- about half of those who have been infected. All the victims had close contact with poultry. Officials fear the virus could mutate in a way that makes it spread easily from person to person, sparking a devastating worldwide pandemic. U.S. wildlife experts have been monitoring wild migratory birds since the virus emerged in Asia in 1997. They have tested 12,000 in Alaska since 1998 and 4,000 traveling across the Atlantic since 2000. Officials have been focusing on Alaska because it is a crossroad for bird migration. No birds have tested positive. Under the new plan, officials expect to collect 75,000 to 100,000 samples from live and dead wild birds this year, along with 50,000 samples of water or feces from waterfowl habitats across the United States. Officials also plan to investigate any disease outbreaks in wild birds and do spot checks of birds killed by hunters, as well as those being sold in live bird markets and being raised by farmers. The effort is part of the Bush administration's $29 million plan to protect the country against the virus. "None of us can build a cage around the United States. We have to be prepared to deal with the virus here," Johanns said. If an infected bird is detected, officials plan to immediately quarantine the area and kill any infected birds to stem the spread of the virus. In addition to human health concerns, officials worry that the virus could devastate the $29 billion poultry industry. Officials stressed that they expect perhaps dozens of false alarms because of increased testing, and that even if a genuine case is found it does not necessarily mean an outbreak will occur. "The detection of highly pathogenic H5N1 virus in the United States would not constitute a reason for panic," the agriculture secretary said.
I'm sure that H5N1 will be in birds in the US before the final mutation comes around. I can't hole up in my place without leaving for months at that point. I'm hoping to see some post or news somewhere that shows it mutating. Then I'll shut the doors. I'm still thinking that China will show the first signs of a mutation. Chickens often live on top of pig pens in places there. Bad breeding ground for RNA recomnination I try to keep up with threads at www.timebomb2000.com and a new site Bear showed me, www.CurEvents.com Maybe I'll get a heads up... dunno
To be truthful I don't know exactly what I will do. With a child in school and a wife teaching, they usually are exposed to everything, and bring it home of course. If we are lucky it will be during the summer, when they are home more often. I think that in order for me to stay home and seal up the doors there would have to be at or near epidemic levels. With the expectations that it will hit the U.S. by the summer, we will really be ramping up our stockpile, just in case. Maybe I can talk my wife into installing a hand dip and foot dip in the entrance into her room. Full of sanitizer and quatonary ammonia. Lots of Lysol and maybe even a daily fogging of the room. The house too.
Of the choices I went with 'carry on as usual'. My situation though is that I work outside with only 1 other person and no close contact to anyone and other than work, paying bills and some shopping dont leave the farm much as it is. If it hits in birds in my region the all my chickens will be slaughtered and burned at that point. If my farm was paid off and we had some saveings then as soon as heard of more than 1 isolated case of human to human transfer I would bug in and lock down though would not shoot birds comeing around since that would leave their corpses in the yard rather than allowing them to go away. If it goes to a full epidemic level then will most likely do this as much as possible and deal with the consiquences as best as can but our problem is that still owe a mortgage on the land and house with no savings so if we bug in for more than a month or so then the mortgage defaults after 90 days and we loose the farm. Not only would this be a devistating lose to us in other ways but also the fact that we then would have to be in full contact with everyone to look for more pay, housing, and so on and the new housing would most likely be in a lot higher population area. So for us a full bug in at this time would backfire if everything had not totaly passed in the first 6 months unless the economy (specificaly the mortgage companies and banks) had totaly colapsed, putting us in an even worse situation than basic precautions and continueing to get out in the world and take care of business. I know one big change that is going to start ASAP is that since we get our water from a big hose at the water tower (3" hose that hangs down to fill tanks) for all our use and a well isnt in the budget at the moment, figure when we go to get water we will start taking a bottle of alcohol and a rag to sterilize the hose before filling the tank.
