January 4, 2006

US approves US$91.4-billion bird flu fund

The US congress has approved US$91.4 million to prevent and prepare for a bird flu outbreak in the country, after US President George W Bush signed a bill approving the fund.

USDA secretary Mike Johanns said that the fund--part of a larger request submitted by Bush to implement the National Strategy to Safeguard Against the Danger of Pandemic Influenza--will enable the department to collaborate with its international partners to provide technical assistance.

The funds will be used to increase the current animal vaccine stockpile by 40 million doses, enhance bio-security measures to rapidly contain or exclude the H5N1 bird flu strain from US poultry farms, and continue research and development of vaccines and genome sequencing.

Part of the money will also go to the planning and creation of simulation models, and for surveillance and diagnostic measures of wildlife/bird flyways and waterfowl birds.