Penna. is prepared in case of avian flu outbreak (from past experience)

[gauguin57]

Three poultry-testing labs in PA say they're ready to identify deal with outbreaks of avian flu (especially because of past experiences with avian flu outbreaks in Pennsylvania). But no one seems to even be talking about bird flu anymore, so why am I even posting this?

http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/18988

Experts: Pa.'s prepared for avian flu outbreak
Testing system allows for quick response

Lancaster (PA) Intelligencer Journal

" It's been a busy year for poultry experts at New Bolton Center, near Kennett Square in Chester County. Avian flu used to be a concern only for farmers worried about economic ruin. Now the much-publicized and deadliest strain, H5N1, has the world on edge.

"But in Pennsylvania, previous outbreaks have made those in the know confident the state's quick-response system could contain the virus if it appeared here -- a message that hasn't been well conveyed by the media.

" 'What has been portrayed by the media is panic,' said Dr. Sherrill Davison, head of the Laboratory of Avian Medicine and Pathology of the University of Pennsylvania, located at the center. 'We need to be prepared. We need to be concerned. But when (the media) talks about this, they're talking about the human side, and that's what's panicking people. We're on the poultry side, and we're prepared.'

"Experience has been a good teacher to the Pennsylvania poultry industry, and history shows less-deadly strains of avian flu were aptly contained. ... 'Everyone is pretty much prepared, but we're especially prepared in Pennsylvania because we have had some outbreaks of avian flu here,' Davison said Tuesday. 'Because of those experiences, we have a surveillance program. If we pick up a positive (test result), we truly know it's not widespread.' ..."