Friday, May 19, 2006
Federal scientists start bird flu tests in Alaska; some states not ready
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it’s succeeded in catching some targeted migratory shorebirds at a coastal wildlife refuge in Anchorage. The officials plan to check them for traces of the dangerous strain of bird flu, then set them free. Other wild birds killed during seasonal hunts also will be tested.
Wildlife experts say they hope to swab as many as 15,000 birds for bird flu by setting up remote camps throughout the state.
Meantime, the Homeland Security department’s top doctor says many states have been slow to prepare for bird flu’s arrival in the United States.
Doctor Jeffrey Runge isn’t naming the states. But he tells The Associated Press that states with experience in dealing with hurricanes or terrorist attacks are further along.