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Safeguarding the United States From Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): USDA Actions, Plans, and Capabilities for Addressing the Bird Flu Threat
Veterinary Services
October 2005
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recognizes that HPAI (H5N1) poses a significant threat to agriculture and human health. Accordingly, USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
is taking steps to safeguard against the introduction
of HPAI (H5N1) into the United States. APHIS also
continues to work closely with its Federal, State, and
Tribal partners and industry stakeholders to have
effective and coordinated emergency response plans
ready should an outbreak of HPAI (H5N1) occur in
the United States.
Any outbreak of HPAI, regardless of the strain,
could have very serious economic and health impacts
on the U.S. poultry industry, as well as on public
health.
The United States is the world's largest producer
and exporter of poultry meat and the second-largest
egg producer. Total U.S. poultry production was valued
at $23.3 billion in 2003. Broiler production was
valued at $15.2 billion, followed by eggs at $5.3 billion,
and turkeys at $2.7 billion. An outbreak of HPAI
could result in significant poultry production losses in
affected areas due to quarantine and bird depopulation
activities.
The United States is the world's largest exporter
of broilers and turkeys. In 2003, U.S. broiler exports
were valued at $1.5 billion and turkey exports at $265
million. In the event of an HPAI outbreak in the United
States, our foreign trading partners would impose a
ban on all U.S. exports of poultry and poultry products.
Without following proper food handling, hygiene, and
normal cooking practices, HPAI (H5N1) virus can survive
on contaminated raw poultry meat, on contaminated
surfaces of eggs, and within the albumen and
yolk of eggs. However, it is important to note that
there is no evidence that people have been infected
by HPAI (H5N1) through the consumption of eggs,
egg products, or well-cooked poultry meat.
Preventing HPAI in the United States
As a primary safeguard against the introduction
of HPAI (H5N1) into the United States, APHIS maintains
trade restrictions on the importation of poultry
and poultry products from affected countries. In many
of these countries, APHIS had prior poultry and poultry
product import restrictions in place because they
were also know to have exotic Newcastle disease
(END). The import restrictions targeted against END
also effectively mitigate HPAI risk. These restrictions
include:
• Prohibiting the importation of live birds and
hatching eggs from H5N1 affected countries.
• Requiring all imported birds be quarantined at a
USDA bird-quarantine facility and be tested for
the avian influenza virus before entering the
country. This requirement now covers returning
U.S.-origin pet birds.
APHIS has developed a risk assessment that
specifically considers the threat to the United States
of HPAI introduction from Southeast Asia. This
assessment is helping APHIS to identify and closely
monitor pathways that are vulnerable to potential
HPAI (H5N1) introduction. APHIS has alerted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to be especially
vigilant in performing agricultural inspections for
prohibited products at U.S. Ports-of-entry handling
passengers and cargo from Asia. Additionally, APHIS
has increased its monitoring of domestic commercial
markets for illegally smuggled poultry and poultry
products.
APHIS is working closely with international
organizations like the World Organization for Animal
Health (OIE) and the United Nations' Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health
Organization (WHO) to assist HPAI-affected countries
and other neighboring Asian-Pacific countries with
disease prevention, management, and eradication
activities. By helping these countries prepare for,
manage, or eradicate HPAI (H5N1) outbreaks, APHIS
can reduce the risk of the disease spreading from< overseas to the United States.
Preparedness in the Event of an Outbreak
In the event that HPAI prevention efforts fail to
stop the introduction of the disease into this country,
APHIS is working diligently to prepare for a potential
outbreak. Preparations include coordinating efforts
and information, developing response strategies, monitoring
for the presence of HPAI, heightening disease
awareness, and having resources and personnel
readily available.
APHIS established an interagency working group
to address HPAI preparedness and response issues.
The group includes representatives from several
Federal agencies and international animal- and publichealth
organizations. This group communicates regularly
electronically and receives HPAI (H5N1) status
updates.
USDA agricultural attachés with APHIS'
International Services program and USDA's Foreign
Agricultural Service are closely monitoring the HPAI
situation in Asia and routinely report new developments.
APHIS reviewed and provided input to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services' Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on their
Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness
Plan. APHIS provided guidance concerning its role in
animal health and wildlife disease management. APHIS also collaborated with CDC to draft recommendations
to help prevent the transmission of HPAI
to animal-disease outbreak-response workers.
APHIS' Veterinary Services (VS) program is
developing a policy to ensure the protection of personnel
involved in HPAI control and eradication activities.
APHIS officials at VS' Center for Veterinary Biologics are considering options for the use of HPAI vaccines on poultry in the event of an outbreak in the United States. APHIS administers an Avian Influenza Vaccine Bank.
VS maintains a national network of personnel to monitor for and respond to outbreaks of HPAI and
other foreign animal diseases (FADs). This network
includes:
• An Area Veterinarian-in-Charge (AVIC) assigned
to a State or, in some cases, two or more States,
to administer VS operations and work with State
veterinary officers.
• Fourteen Area Emergency Coordinator (AEC)
positions to help support and improve State and
Tribal preparedness and response to FAD emer
gencies. The AECs are strategically placed
throughout the United States.
• A cadre of more than 40,000 certified private vet
erinary practitioners to report any suspected
FADs to Federal or State officials.
• Four hundred and fifty specially trained animaldisease
diagnosticians from State, Federal, and
military ranks who are highly trained in diagnosing
HPAI and other FADs.
APHIS maintains world-class diagnostic capabilities
through VS' National Veterinary Services
Laboratories (NVSL). NVSL are also supported by VS'
National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which
provides additional FAD diagnostic capabilities at
USDA approved State and private animal health diagnostic
labs
.
APHIS has been conducting a multilevel outreach
and education campaign called "Biosecurity for the
Birds" that provides disease and biosecurity information
to backyard poultry producers. The campaign also
encourages producers to report sick birds, thereby
increasing APHIS' FAD surveillance opportunities in
poultry.
Response to a Potential Outbreak
If an HPAI (H5N1) outbreak should occur in the
United States, APHIS has the FAD management infrastructure
required to conduct an emergency response
program. The response would take place at the local
level in accordance with the National Animal Health
Emergency Management System's guidelines for
highly contagious disease.
If the scope of the HPAI (H5N1) outbreak is
beyond APHIS' and the affected State's immediate
resource capabilities, additional resources can be
obtained through the following mechanisms:
• Under the National Response Plan’s Emergency
Support Function #11, APHIS can implement an
integrated Federal, State, Tribal, and local
response to an FAD or zoonotic disease outbreak.
This mechanism ensures that animal-health
emergencies are supported in coordination with
the emergency support function that covers public
health and medical services.
• APHIS can request additional animal health
personnel through the National Animal Health
Emergency Response Corps. This Corps is
composed of private veterinarians and animal
health technicians who are able to assist on short
notice.
APHIS would organize its response to an HPAI
outbreak using the incident command system (ICS)
prescribed by the National Incident Management
System. Key APHIS leadership roles under ICS
would include:
• The incident commander managing emergency
response operations in the field, and
• The National Incident Coordinator, at the APHIS
Emergency Operations Center in Riverdale, MD,
providing national support to the incident
commander.
This ICS organizational structure can be easily
incorporated into a larger, Federal multi-agency
response if necessary.
Upon detection of HPAI (H5N1) in poultry, APHIS
would quickly notify the CDC to initiate their involvement,
in coordination with State and local health
departments, in efforts to minimize disease transmission
from birds to humans. If necessary, CDC would
activate the Pandemic Influenza Response Plan.
Recovery From an Outbreak
Following the eradication of an outbreak of HPAI
in the United States, APHIS would play a key role in
supporting the recovery of the poultry industry by
working with foreign trading partners to reopen lost
overseas markets to U.S. poultry and poultry products.
APHIS is also authorized to offer producers
indemnity for losses directly related to HPAI and HPAI
eradication activities. Funding to support HPAI indemnity
would be available through the USDA’s
Commodity Credit Corporation.
Conclusion
APHIS is taking appropriate measures to safeguard
against, plan for, and, if necessary, respond to
an outbreak of HPAI (H5N1) in the United States.
These efforts not only protect the health and value of
the U.S. poultry industry from HPAI but also reduce
the risk of a potential human health emergency in the
United States.
Additional Information
For more information about avian influenza or emergency preparedness, contact
USDA, APHIS VS
Emergency Programs
4700 River Road, Unit 41
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231
Telephone (310) 734-8073
Fax (301) 734-7817
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. , Washington , D.C. 20250–9410 , or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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