(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) The spread of a highly contagious type of avian
influenza has prompted US health officials to take precautionary
measures to prevent an outbreak in humans, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday, according to dpa.
In Iowa, 5.3 million egg-laying hens were euthanized after tests
confirmed an outbreak of the disease, the Des Moines Register
reported.
The influenza - also known as bird flu - kills more than 90 per cent
of birds that become infected within 48 hours, the CDC reported. The
disease affects both wild birds and farmed poultry.
Since December, 16 US states have reported cases of H5N2 avian
influenza, and the wider the spread, the higher the risk for humans,
said Alicia Fry of the CDC.
'Right now from everything we know it seems like the risk for human
infection is very low, but we are really at the beginning of this,'
said Fry.
'There is certainly a possibility [of human infection] considering
the spread of infection among birds,' she said.
As with all influenza viruses, the CDC has taken the first steps
needed to create a human vaccine, but at this point 'haven't had a
need to go further.'
We are cautiously optimistic, Fry said.
The 16 states where cases of the H5N2 virus habe been reported in
wild birds, captive wild birds, backyard poultry or commercial
poultry are Arkansas, California, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota,
Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Two cases have also been reported
in Ontario, Canada.
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