press release

US Government Works to Prevent the Spread of Avian Flu in Nicaragua 

June 8, 2007

From June 6 to 8, 2007, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) hosted a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Poultry Surveillance Workshop at the Princess Hilton Hotel in Managua, Nicaragua.  The workshop educated poultry producers on the implications of an Avian Flu outbreak on the poultry trade in Central America.  Through this workshop, the U.S. government hopes to raise awareness of the need of proper surveillance of poultry in Central America to stop the spread of a pandemic.

Information on Avian Flu

Avian flu is a virus that occurs naturally among birds and is caused by the influenza A viruses.  Wild birds throughout the world can carry the influenza virus in their intestines without showing signs of illness.  Domesticated birds may become infected with avian flu via direct contact with infected waterfowl or infected poultry, or through contact with surfaces (such as dirt or cages) or materials (such as water or feed) that have been contaminated with the virus.  A highly pathogenic form of the flu can spread rapidly through flocks, causing disease that affects multiple internal organs and has a mortality rate that can be as high as 90-100% within 48 hours.

There has been a growing number of cases of avian flu in Asia, Africa, and Europe since 2003.   One strain of the virus known as H5N1 is currently of particular concern because of its rise as a pandemic or global disease outbreak.  H5N1 is one of the few avian influenza viruses that crossed the species barrier and infected humans and is the most deadly of those that have crossed the barrier.  Although the H5N1 virus seems to have a limited ability to spread from person to person, scientists are worried that because of the viruses ability to change the virus may eventually spread easily from one person to another.  Most of the cases in humans are believed to have been caused by infected poultry and have resulted in the deaths of more than half the people infected. 

There is no vaccine currently available commercially to fight H5N1, the best way to fight avian flu is through prevention of outbreaks.  The U.S. government is aware of the global health, economic, and social consequences that would be caused by a human influenza pandemic.  Congress approved funding requested by President Bush to implement the national strategy which includes $251 million to detect and contain outbreaks before a potential global outbreak.