Maine begins testing wild birds for avian flu

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Maine, the closest U.S. state to migration routes for birds coming from Europe, has begun testing for avian flu 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.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 125 people worldwide since reappearing in 2003. Scientists fear it could evolve into a virus, which can pass easily from person to person, triggering a pandemic that could kill millions.

Although the virus has not been found in North America, the Bush administration and a senior U.N. official have said it could reach the United States this year after spreading across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Some wildlife authorities say the virus is likely to be carried either to the east or west coast of the United States by migrating birds starting their journeys south, either from Alaska on the Pacific Flyway, or the Atlantic Flyway on the other side of North American continent.

Maine and Alaska are two major crossroads being monitored.

Federal and local agencies aim to test 50,000 samples of waste from wild birds this year to test for the H5N1 strain of bird flu. Officials also want another 75,000 to 100,000 samples of bird waste directly from live or dead animals.

Donald Hoenig, Maine’s state veterinarian, has estimated the 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.

New England officials have also discussed possible region-wide contingency plans if the virus spreads to humans.

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