Indonesia has come under strong criticism because its agriculture department has been unable to cope with the avian influenza epidemic in its backyard and commercial poultry. Among other things, Indonesia doesn't have an effective mandatory surveillance program for the infection in birds. Guess who else doesn't have one?
The U.S. Agriculture Department's failure to develop a "comprehensive" program to monitor for bird flu could leave the country unprepared if an outbreak happens, a bipartisan group of senators said on Friday.In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, six lawmakers said some states were not as prepared as they should be for the disease.
To better protect public health, they said, the department should provide states with a protocol for developing avian influenza response plans.
The letter also expressed concern that the U.S. Agriculture Department has not done enough to prepare for an outbreak in multiple states or raise awareness among backyard poultry owners for symptoms of the virus.
"We need leadership from USDA in preparing for the arrival of avian flu," said Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
"USDA's failure to develop a comprehensive monitoring program leaves us in the dark about areas of the country where better surveillance is needed. And USDA's inadequate assistance and cooperation with states and industry leaves our nation unnecessarily vulnerable," he said. (Washington Post)
It's not like this problem has been flying under the radar here or anywhere else in the world. The Department of Agriculture's failure to have an adequate plan long before this is a scandal:
A department spokesman said Friday that officials are working to fix the problems raised in the audit, done by the department' inspector general, and that auditors approve of those efforts.
"This has been a key priority for the department," spokesman Ed Loyd said. "This is not something that's just theoretical to the department. We have experience in dealing with previous high-path outbreaks." (LA Times)
A key priority? They aren't expected to have even a rudimentary plan until October of 2006. Given the disparity in resources and level of understanding, the USDA makes the Indonesians look good. By comparison, anyway, remembering that the Indonesians look about as bad as you can look.
But it's all relative.
- Log in to post comments
And what aother things the Department of Agriculture ought to do that are not so 'key priority'? ;D
As Revere mentions above, USDA spokesman Ed Loyd said "We have experience in dealing with previous high-path outbreaks."
In March, the USDA listed the extent of this experience in the U.S.: Three outbreaks, in 1924, 1983, and 2004.
(See list in USDA Press Release No. 0458.05, March 2006, at http://tinyurl.com/z4qar )
Not mentioned in that comprehensive March 2006 list of HPAI outbreaks in the U.S.: The 2004 Texas outbreak is notable for having been first reported, with no uncertainty factor, as a low-pathogenic strain, in this February 20, 2006 release by the Texas Animal Health Commission: http://tinyurl.com/gygg4.
The clinical features -- low poultry mortality -- suggested that the strain was LPAI.
Three days later, the strain was identified as a highly-pathogenic strain, by lab tests at the National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa. The joint USDA - Texas press release at http://tinyurl.com/zdu7h noted that this was the first HPAI in the U.S. in 20 years.
It is true that USDA officials have supported other countries in responding to HPAI outbreaks. But the USDA's experience in the United States is rather limited -- thanks to good fortune, good biosecurity, and the world's low incidence of HPAI before the current HPAI H5N1 came along.
An opportunity for the Dems, if they will just take it.
I don't know if if makes Indonesia look good, but it certainly makes the US DOA look bad... and rightly so.