Thursday, September 07, 2006

Mute swan update

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed Aug. 28 that two mute swans that were suspected to have contracted avian flu in August did have the disease, but were not infected with the type of H5N1 bird flu that is causing sickness and death among humans and birds in Asia.

Although the swans tested positive for an H5N1 bird flu, the type they were carrying is low-pathogenic, meaning that it is a weaker kind, and "poses no threat to human health," according to USDA. News reports have described it as "mostly harmless."

Since the Michigan swans were identified, birds in at least two other states have been found to be carrying low-pathogenic types of avian flu.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

When a mute swan died of H5N1 flu in Scotland in April, the government took immediate action, isolating poultry indoors, banning poultry transport and instituting poultry testing. The question is, are we taking enough precautions to protect our food supply here in the United States?