buttons it don't help anyone, the point is they cant stop disease from progression in this country, the only way would be to vaccinate every wild bird and domesticated bird in the world "with a cure"....
wild birds and water fowl will always carry something..
Just like AI is not something new..sure the new strains are, but id think that comes from possible human manipulation of the disease its self, maybe somebody playing around with for war related weapons...or it just mutates on its own level..
Avian Influenza
The first reference to avian influenza (AI) in the proceedings is found in USLSA President McNeil's opening address at the 29th annual meeting in 1925. He said: "During the past year, the representatives of the Federal Bureau and several states have effectively dealt with two outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and we believe suppressed European fowl pest brought into this country by laboratory workers and accidentally introduced into the flocks in the United States, causing extensive losses to poultry and allied industries until finally brought under control.
"A close check on car lots and express consignments of poultry arriving at the eastern railroad terminals during December, 1924, and January, 1925, demonstrated that a large number of diseased birds were arriving and it was necessary to institute a systematic inspection for the live poultry industry of the east." McNeil noted that 10,000 rail cars of mixed, live poultry, representing some 40 million birds are received at the railroad terminals of Newark, Jersey City and Elizabeth. This emphasized the problem of live poultry markets in the control of avian influenza. Live bird markets, on a smaller scale, would again prove to be a major issue in the control of the disease in the 1980's and 1990's.
Four years later, in 1929, the second outbreak of AI was noted by the committee
Twenty-two years later, in 1951, H. J. Stafseth discussed his observations of a fowl pest outbreak in Michigan, apparently in 1924, and his subsequent laboratory studies with the outbreak virus over a three-month period and ultimate decision to destroy the virus by autoclaving.
The next reference to AI came in 1964, in a presentation by R. A. Bankowski, describing an apparently new respiratory disease of turkeys, which was the first isolation of a less-pathogenic strain of AI virus in the U.S. In 1967, the committee alerted the poultry industry to the appearance of the new AI viruses of relatively low pathogenicity, but potential danger. In 1972, the committee noted reports of more frequent occurrences of the fowl plague related AI viruses and recommended all diagnostic laboratories be alerted. An AI subcommittee was formed.
From 1973 to 1975, the AI subcommittee noted an increasing awareness of turkey AI outbreaks, the isolation of AI virus from free-flying water fowl and recommended USDA and NIH establish protocols for the import of exotic AI viruses and infected materials and laboratory security.
In 1976, the AI subcommittee reported AI had been diagnosed in chickens in Pennsylvania, the first diagnosis in chickens since 1929, when fowl plague was eradicated from the U.S. A paper on the isolation and identification of the virus was also given that year. The following year, the subcommittee discussed contingency plans for an AI outbreak and in 1978 a paper on vaccination of chickens against AI was presented.
In 1979, amid reports of AI infection in turkeys in the north central states, California and Texas, the committee suggested an international symposium on avian influenza, to be held in the U.S. and to develop guidelines to the classification of highly virulent strains and their control. A paper was presented that year on the prevention and control of AI in turkeys.
Recommendations from the 1981 symposium covered: (1) uniform identification and terminology; (2) uniform import/export requirements, including the concept of regionalization; (3) methods for prevention and control; and (4) research priorities.
The subcommittee reported AI infection in 11 states in 1981, with one isolation from chickens, and recommended that USDA implement recommendations of the symposium, develop a bank of AI isolates for vaccine production and standards for AI vaccine and that all AI isolates be sent to NVSL.
The 1983 committee report stated AI (H5N2) had been diagnosed in at least 38 chicken flocks and 2 chicken flocks in Maryland and that inactivated AI vaccines were used in four states in 160 turkey flocks.
The committee reported in 1984 that AI (H5N2) in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey in egg-type chickens, broilers and turkeys was the most expensive and costly outbreak of an infectious disease in the history of the poultry industry in the U.S. A state-federal-industry eradication program was in progress.
In 1984, the committee proposed sponsorship of a second international symposium; urged states to make AI a reportable disease and urged USDA to support laboratory facilities and personnel studying the epidemiology of AI. Five papers on AI were presented covering: (1) problems associated with eradication; (2) task force depopulation concerns; (3) description of the 1983-84 outbreak; and (4) molecular characterization of the 1983 Pennsylvania virus.
At the 1985 meeting, the committee reported that, on May 29, 1985, USDA declared lethal AI (H5N2) eradicated from the U.S. at a total cost of $65 million. Producers suffered $55 million dollars in direct loss, of which $44 million was offset by indemnity payments. Consumers paid $349 million more for protein food. Without eradication, producers would have suffered $508 million in losses and consumers $5.6 billion in increased cost of protein food. Several states reported AI in turkeys and the Delmarva Poultry Industry developed a procedure manual on emergency poultry diseases.
An AI reevaluation and nomenclature subcommittee was appointed in 1986 to review alternatives and recommend appropriate definitions of AI which would permit control and eradication and action to allow unhindered trade between countries. AI infection in chickens, turkeys and game birds, associated with the live bird markets in eastern states, was described and a report presented on the second symposium in 1986.
In 1987, the nomenclature subcommittee presented its recommendations on terminology and on criteria for when an AI isolate causing an outbreak should be considered for eradication. The Third International Symposium was held in 1992. From 1993 to 1995, the committee discussed AI outbreaks in Mexico, the development of a recombinant AI/fowl pox vaccine and planning for a fourth international symposium on AI in 1997. by Neal Black
more good reading and some history of bird flu(ai) very interesting..
http://www.birdfluclues.com/bird_flu_history.html
http://www.birdfluclues.com/bird_migration_paths.html
Charlie
