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What is Avian Influenza and how is FSIS preparing for it? |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service podcast. Each episode will bring
you cutting edge news and information about how FSIS is working to ensure public health
protection through food safety. While we’re on the job, you can rest assured that your
meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, properly labeled, and packaged
correctly. So turn up your volume and listen in.
Host:
Hello and welcome. This is Sheila Johnson from FSIS. Today I have Lieutenant Commander
Jeff Tarrant of the U.S. Public Health Service and Communications Director of the FSIS
Avian Influenza Response Plan Workgroup with me to talk about avian influenza and what
FSIS is doing to prepare for an outbreak within the United States.
In an effort to provide some background information on avian influenza, commander, could
you explain what it is?
Guest:
Absolutely! Avian influenza – the bird flu – is a virus that infects wild birds (such
as ducks, gulls and shorebirds) and domestic poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, ducks
and geese). There is flu for birds just as there is for humans and, as with people, some
forms of the flu are worse than others.
Avian influenza strains are divided into two groups based upon the ability of the virus
to produce disease in poultry: low pathogenicity avian influenza and high pathogenicity
avian influenza – which you’ll hear me refer to from now on as low path or high path AI.
Host:
So, what’s the difference between these two types of avian influenza?
Guest:
Low path AI naturally occurs in wild birds and can spread to domestic birds. In most cases,
it causes no signs of infection or only minor disease in birds. These strains of the virus
pose little threat to human health. But, they do have the potential to mutate into high
path AI and are therefore closely monitored.
High path AI is often fatal in chickens and turkeys. It spreads more rapidly than low
path AI and has a higher death rate in birds. Of primary concern is highly pathogenic
H5N1 AI which is circulating overseas. That high path H5N1 strain has killed thousands
of chickens, ducks and geese around the world and has infected humans who have had direct
contact with infected birds.
Host:
Where did high path AI come from?
Guest:
High path AI H5N1 emerged in China in 1996 and has been detected in wild birds in Europe,
Asia and Africa. In addition, humans have been infected through contact with domestic
poultry or poultry products (such as chicken parts, poultry feet and feathers). To date,
high path AI H5N1 that is circulating overseas has not been detected in North America.
Host:
Commander, how can people become infected with avian influenza?
Guest:
Although the high path avian influenza H5N1 virus does not usually infect people, more
than 385 human cases have been reported to the World Health Organization since 2004. Most
people who have become sick or died from high path avian influenza H5N1 have had extensive
and direct contact with infected poultry.
Broad concerns about public health relate to the potential for the virus to mutate or
change into a form that could easily spread from person-to-person, a characteristic that
could result in a human influenza pandemic. To date, there is no evidence that this has
occurred.
Host:
Jeff, what measures is FSIS taking to prepare for a potential outbreak of high path AI
H5N1 in the United States?
Guest:
In September 2006, FSIS drafted a response plan to prepare for, respond to, and recover
from an outbreak of high path AI H5N1 in the United States. In keeping with the Agency’s
public health mission, the plan ensures that during an outbreak, poultry and egg products
that could be potentially infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus do
not present a risk to consumers.
The plan includes protocols to protect the health and safety of FSIS inspectors in the
event infected or potentially infected poultry or poultry products enter FSIS-regulated
poultry or egg products establishments. In addition, it includes a summary of communication
efforts that would affect industry, consumers, international trading partners, federal
and state agencies and agency personnel.
The plan establishes a mechanism that enables FSIS to support USDA’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service in the control and eradication of high path AI H5N1. And the
plan also supports the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan
issued by the President on November 1, 2005.
Host:
Describe briefly what this national implementation strategy is.
Guest:
Well, the national strategy guides our nation's preparedness and response to an influenza
pandemic, with the intent of first stopping, slowing or otherwise limiting the spread
of a pandemic to the United States; second, limiting the domestic spread of a pandemic,
and mitigating disease, suffering and death; and finally, sustaining infrastructure and
mitigating impact to the economy and the functioning of society. The strategy charges
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with leading the federal pandemic preparedness.
Host:
It’s great to hear that such a major effort is being made to address avian influenza.
Where can we go to find out more information?
Guest:
For more information on avian influenza, please go to
www.usda.gov/birdflu or
www.pandemicflu.gov. To report sick or dying
poultry, immediately notify the FSIS Inspector in Charge and call the USDA’s Veterinary
Services toll free at 1-866-536-7593.
Host:
Thanks, Jeff, and thanks to all of you out there listening.
Outro:
Well, that’s all for this episode. We’d like your feedback on our podcast. Or if you
have ideas for future podcasts, send us an e-mail at podcast@fsis.usda.gov. To learn more
about food safety, try our web site at www.fsis.usda.gov.
Thanks for tuning in.
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Last Modified: September 22, 2008 |
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