March 15, 2007

USDA renews overseas efforts against H5N1

An hour or so after signing a deal to coordinate efforts with the United Nations to globally combat animal diseases such as the deadly Asian strain of H5N1 bird flu, the US Department of Agriculture stressed the importance of fighting the virus overseas to avoid having to fight it here.

The US is providing resources and training to people in countries such as Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia where the highly pathogenic virus has infected and killed birds and humans.

Administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Ron DeHaven told reporters in a Wednesday (Mar 14) briefing: "We recognise that reducing the virus at its source...is perhaps the most effective way to reduce the potential for it to find its way to the United States."

And that is why the USDA is working with international partners to train 50 experts from 15 countries to form a team for "rapid international deployment to combat highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu".

Meanwhile, US government officials said they are bolstering efforts to interdict illegal poultry shipments to the US and detect the virus if it makes its way here.

Hundreds of thousands of smuggled poultry products were seized last year in government raids, USDA Secretary Mike Johanns said.