Make use of working ideas about avian flu
With the spring migratory season of wild birds comes greater urgency for a line of defense against avian flu. For all the dire global predictions of a potential epidemic, an agriculture conference held Tuesday right here on the Delmarva Peninsula yielded some sensible, down-to-earth recommendations.
Notably, those who well know the poultry industry in this region have experience containing disease outbreaks in commercial flocks. They criticized a new federal response plan for failing to solicit that practical information. Delaware Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse said, "They took existing plans rather than talking to states and universities and seeing what worked and didn't work."
Congressman Mike Castle sponsored the meeting, so he can take back these ideas to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Local advice like how to safely dispose of dead infected birds is invaluable. The scope of the migrating threat doesn't leave room for best guesses about safety measures.
With the spring migratory season of wild birds comes greater urgency for a line of defense against avian flu. For all the dire global predictions of a potential epidemic, an agriculture conference held Tuesday right here on the Delmarva Peninsula yielded some sensible, down-to-earth recommendations.
Notably, those who well know the poultry industry in this region have experience containing disease outbreaks in commercial flocks. They criticized a new federal response plan for failing to solicit that practical information. Delaware Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse said, "They took existing plans rather than talking to states and universities and seeing what worked and didn't work."
Congressman Mike Castle sponsored the meeting, so he can take back these ideas to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Local advice like how to safely dispose of dead infected birds is invaluable. The scope of the migrating threat doesn't leave room for best guesses about safety measures.