U.S. Unveils Expanded Bird Flu Surveillance - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today
WASHINGTON, March 21 - Warning that migratory birds could bring avian flu to the U.S. this year, government officials have unveiled a five-point plan for early detection.
But they said that even if the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain is detected in birds in America, there is no reason for panic.
"It is critically important for the American people to understand that a detection of this virus in birds does not signal the start of a pandemic among people," Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns told reporters.
He added that fear of the flu shouldn't stop people from eating poultry, because proper cooking kills the virus.
Posted by gruwell at March 22, 2006 9:12 AM | TrackBack