Friday, June 16, 2006
Maine begins testing wild birds for avian flu
Maine, the closest U.S. state to migration routes for birds coming from Europe, has begun testing for avian influenza as the United States steps up preparations for its possible spread to North America.
Maine has modeled its plan after Alaska, where many expect the first U.S. case of bird flu to be detected, Mark Stadler, director of the wildlife division of Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told Reuters in an interview.
Stadler said wildlife biologists have started testing Arctic terns, common eiders and pigeon-sized black guillemots in the state’s rugged and remote eastern islands, and that they soon plan to test Canada geese, ducks, loons and other birds.
“The testing will spread southward across the state over the summer,” he said.
Donald Hoenig, Maine’s state veterinarian, has estimated the bird flu virus could show up in Maine as soon as the late summer.
Maine’s Center for Disease Control has also opened a hotline for residents to report dead birds and officials fear that an infection could spread to the state’s poultry industry.
With four million domestic birds, Maine is the nation’s leading producer of brown eggs, according to Hoenig. In 2004, Maine’s brown eggs generated $61 million in sales.