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WASHINGTON – Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) today proposed a bill that would establish a domestic and global network for avian influenza surveillance among wild birds to combat the growing threat of bird flu to Americans. Wild birds are known carriers of influenza viruses and they transmit the disease to domesticated animals. Wild birds were responsible for the spread of the 1918 influenza virus epidemic that killed 40 to 100 million people worldwide.
The Global Network for Avian Influenza Surveillance Act, which Lieberman introduced in the Senate today, would provide $10,000,000 annually for the next 5 fiscal years to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to establish a global wildlife surveillance system to be overseen by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“With the growing concern about avian flu, it is critical that we take immediate steps to protect Americans from this dangerous disease,” Lieberman said. “By establishing a global network to track the potential spread of bird flu, this legislation will provide federal, state and local officials the resources it needs to prevent a deadly avian flu pandemic.”
Specifically, the Global Network for Avian Influenza Surveillance Act will:
• Increase the efficiency with which we can detect, verify, and report on the presence of deadly viruses and other infectious diseases in migratory birds,
• Create a database that identifies the avian flu and other viruses of interest in migratory birds so that they can be shared in as close to real time as possible.
• Track mutations or changes in the virus in wild birds,
• Utilize virus tracking information to guide domestic and global preparedness.
An outline of the legislative plan is available at: http://lieberman.senate.gov/documents/bills/051024birdflu.pdf
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