US government announces additional funding to fight avian influenza
The U.S. Congress has approved $91.4 million in funding to enhance the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts to prevent and prepare for Avian Influenza (AI). The funding is part of a larger request submitted by President Bush to implement the National Strategy to Safeguard Against the Danger of Pandemic Influenza.
“These funds will eneable us to (intensify) our surveillance in the United States and deliver increased assistance to countries impacted by the virus, in hopes of prevention further spread and protecting both human and animal health,” said USDA Secretary Mike Johanns.
$73 million will be used for domestic programs including the
following:
- $10 million to increase the current animal vaccine stockpile
by 40 million doses and stock other response supplies; - $32 million for surveillance and diagnostic measures of
wildlife/bird flyways, waterfowl birds and training; - $6 million for biosecurity measures to rapidly contain or
exclude H5N1 AI virus from poultry farms or premises; - $9 million for trade compliance smuggling interventions
enforcement; - $7 million for continued research and development of
improved tools like vaccines, genome sequencing; environmental
surveillance or biosecurity measures; and - $9 million for planning and preparedness training and the
development of simulation models.
The remaining $18 million will be used in collaboration with
other partners to control AI in Asian countries where the virus is
currently endemic.
(Source: USDA)