Lawmakers Call for Global Surveillance of Avian Flu

LAWMAKERS CALL FOR GLOBAL SURVEILLANCE OF AVIAN FLU
December 8, 2005

INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO TRACK DISEASE IN MIGRATORY BIRDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswomen Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) and Nita Lowey (NY-18) today called for global preparedness against the threat of avian flu. The lawmakers introduced legislation that establishes a global system to test migratory birds that spread avian flu.

"This disease poses an international threat to both animals and to humans," said DeLauro. "We must discover how the virus is changing to better prepare populations at risk in the wild bird flight path. These discoveries will allow the U.S. to get a jump start on developing a vaccine actually oriented toward the virus. Fighting the threat of avian flu abroad means we do not have to do it here."

"The best way we can prevent a deadly pandemic is to stop diseases before they spread. We need a strong international surveillance system to achieve this goal," said Lowey. "This bill would create such a system and provide vital, early information on a potential pandemic so that we can keep Americans healthy and safe."

Current global and domestic efforts focus on human surveillance and domestic poultry and waterfowl surveillance. Future efforts outlined in proposed legislation also focus exclusively on human and domestic poultry and waterfowl surveillance. Wild birds, however, spread avian infectious diseases when they come into contact with or share water supplies with domesticated birds. The resulting contact transmits the virus from wild animals to domesticated animals and vice versa. As wild birds migrate, they can carry the virus to new locations and continue the spread. This is what happened during the 1918 influenza virus epidemic that killed 40-100 million people worldwide.

The avian flu virus, also known as H5N1, has killed more than 60 people in Asia. This number could grow to the tens of millions if the virus mutates resulting in sustained human-to-human transmission. In the context of the growing spread of avian flu from Southeast Asia, to Eurasia, and now to the European Union, the possibility of a human pandemic increases.

Last month, the Chinese Ministry of Health began vaccinating all of its 5.2 billion chickens, geese and ducks against the bird flu. Prior to this decision, the Ministry confirmed three human cases of bird flu in China.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny18_lowey/flu120805.html