June 22, 2006

US measures against bird flu said to be inadequate
 

The United States does not have adequate measures to survey and monitor for bird flu, the Agriculture Department's inspector general said on Tuesday (Jun 20).

The inspector general said in a report that USDA relies too heavily on voluntary state and commercial programmes to monitor and test domestic and wild birds.

The voluntary reporting makes it difficult for USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to know how much surveillance is taking place and monitor new developments..

In reply, Animal Health and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) officials told the inspector general the agency had only recently received adequate funding for its surveillance programme and was working to increase monitoring in critical areas.

The review of the department's bird flu plan was conducted before late December when USDA received US$91 million in supplemental funding from Congress.

In December, the inspector general urged APHIS to implement a comprehensive bird flu plan and provide details of how and when the system being developed will be completed.

The USDA was also asked to determine how it would handle a high-pathogenic strain found in live bird markets or other off-farm establishments and the process it would use to obtain and administer vaccines and anti-virals to people involved in culling of birds.