October 17, 2006

Wild ducks in US state Ohio test positive for non-Asian bird flu

The US Department of Agriculture said bird flu has been found in "apparently healthy wild Northern pintails" that were killed by a hunter in Ohio, but the type of the disease is not the highly pathogenic "Asian" H5N1 strain.

The USDA said in a Saturday (Oct 14) evening press release that initial tests confirm the wild birds killed in Ottawa County, Ohio, indicate the presence of H5 and N1 subtypes, but testing had ruled out the highly pathogenic H5N1 "Asian" strain of bird flu, which can be harmful to humans.

Instead, the initial testing indicates the pintails were infected with a low pathogenic bird flu that poses no threat to human health.

Confirmatory testing is being conducted at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, and results will be made public in two to three weeks when tests are completed.

"Low pathogenic bird flu commonly occurs in wild birds," including the so-called "North American" low pathogenic H5N1 strain, the USDA said in the release.