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Agriculture Department officials are worried that the surge of publicity about a possible avian influenza pandemic might lead to a public "overreaction" if there is a routine "low-path" bird flu outbreak in the United States this winter.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Ron DeHaven raised the concern Thursday at a briefing for reporters.

DeHaven emphasized that the "high-path" avian influenza, currently affecting parts of Asia and Europe and held responsible for some human deaths, has not been found in the United States in either birds or humans.

Federal and state government agencies and the poultry industry are working together to try to prevent that influenza from coming to the United States, DeHaven said. Preventative efforts include testing commercial flocks and migratory birds from Asia when they fly to Alaska.

But DeHaven added that "low-path" influenza, which is less serious, has existed in the United States since the early 1900s and that an outbreak this year would not be surprising.

Since the normal method of controlling bird disease in both cases is to kill the affected flocks, DeHaven said he and other officials "worry that if we have routine low-path [avian influenza] we set the stage for an overreaction."

Even if there is a low-path outbreak, DeHaven said, "There is no reason not to have turkey for Thanksgiving."

Members of Congress have begun to express concerns about avian influenza, but DeHaven said if the high-path influenza is detected in the United States, USDA has authority under the Animal Health Protection Act to impose regulations; restrict movements of birds, and spend money on an emergency basis to control the disease.

The USDA, DeHaven said, could use the Commodity Credit Corp. -- a line of credit at the Treasury Department used mainly to pay farm subsidies -- to pay for any emergency measures.

Furthermore, if high-path avian influenza does show up in birds that migrate to the United States, DeHaven said the presence of the disease should not affect U.S. poultry exports because international rules call for countries to "compartmentalize" diseases between migratory birds and commercial flocks.

COMMENTS

• I deeply respect Mr. DeHaven, but there's a reason why people should be worried. That reason is called U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Back in 2001, USDA APHIS was able to prevent Foot and Mouth Disease from entering the United States through hard work and a scientific approach to prevention. USDA APHIS no longer operates in the ports of entry and has been replaced by law-enforcement minded U.S. Customs managers who dictate their own policy instead of following the procedures mandated by law. CBP treats everything that comes from USDA APHIS, including the former USDA employees now working for CBP, as if infected with tuberculosis and refuses to follow the law as far as agriculture procedures go. At my port we were ordered not to board foreign vessels upon arrival when the law clearly states we have to. We have a lot to worry about with that kind of cavalier attitude when it comes to protecting our country. Trapped in CBP Posted October 28, 2005 8:40 AM
• It would appear that hunting wildfowl is a potential way for avian flu to spread to humans since the avian flu is showing up in migratory wildfowl. Perhaps it would be good public policy to cancel the bird hunting season this year. After all the last flu pandemic occurred after the White Sox last won the world series in 1918. Steven W. Brennan Posted October 28, 2005 3:34 PM