USDA Downplays Significance Of Low-Pathogenic Bird Flu

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Department of Agriculture will, as of this week, stop issuing press releases on the discoveries of low-pathogenic bird flu, but will continue to compile findings and data from its surveillance program on government Internet sites.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Interior are conducting the nationwide surveillance in an effort to detect the deadly, high-pathogenic H5N1, or "Asian" strain of bird flu. So far, only low-pathogenic forms of H5N1 have been found, and the government has announced each discovery.

"Because these (low-pathogenic) H5N1 detections are common and pose no threat to human health, USDA and DOI are transitioning to a new method of notifying the public," the USDA said. "Low-pathogenic strains of avian influenza occur naturally in wild birds and typically cause only minor sickness or no noticeable signs of disease in birds. These strains are common in the U.S. and around the world."

If government officials see indications of a possible high-pathogenic infection, the public will be alerted, the USDA said.

"In the event of a presumptive H5N1 test result involving a large number of sick or dead birds, or other circumstances that suggest the possibility of a highly pathogenic virus, USDA and DOI will issue a news release or conduct a technical briefing to notify the media and the public," the USDA said.

The high-pathogenic Asian H5N1 bird flu has spread through Asia, Europe and Africa and killed humans, but it has never been found in the U.S.

Source: Bill Tomson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-646-0088; bill.tomson@dowjones.com