Senator Lisa Murkowski: Bird Flu an Issue of Importance to Alaska, the Nation and the World

SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI:BIRD FLU AN ISSUE OF IMPORTANCE TO ALASKA, THE NATION AND THE WORLD

Saying that the avian flu is an issue of importance to Alaska, the Nation and the world, Sen. Lisa Murkowski commented on President Bush's avian and pandemic influenza strategy, preparation and response plan.

"Bird flu is a serious threat to world health. President Bush, Congress and numerous Federal agencies are aware of this threat and are working hard to prevent a pandemic," Murkowski said. "The State of Alaska is also working closely with Federal agencies and other countries to ensure maximum influenza pandemic preparedness."

Today, President Bush outlined the national strategy to safeguard against the danger of pandemic influenza. He requested $7.1 billion in emergency funding to begin immediately implementing the national strategy. The request would provide specific agency funding for preparations in Alaska:

$7.39 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to increase its field monitoring for avian influenza, allowing FWS to collect an estimated 6,000 sample in Alaska and 5,000 samples in the Pacific and the North American Pacific and Central flyways. $3.76 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for additional surveys, investigations, and research to detect avian influenza in wild birds with early detection activities focused in Alaska and coastal areas. $525,000 to go to the National Park Service (NPS) as a part of an interagency effort to detect avian influenza in wild birds, which would enable the NPS to coordinate surveillance and monitoring of wild birds within national parks in Alaska and other areas at risk.

"There have been no cases detected in Alaska or anywhere else in the U.S., but we should still be prepared for a worst case scenario," said Murkowski. The FWS, USGS, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the University of Alaska, and public health agencies have formed a partnership to conduct surveillance of wild birds in Alaska."

The Alaska surveillance efforts are integrated with avian flu detection programs throughout the Lower 48 and Canada. Domestically, the Bush Administration launched the National Bio-Surveillance Initiative. This initiative will help rapidly detect, quantify, and respond to outbreaks of disease. "Early detection is the key to stop avian and pandemic flu; it is the first line of defense," noted Murkowski.

President Bush also announced a new international partnership on avian and pandemic influenza. This global surveillance and preparedness network will help detect and respond quickly to any outbreaks of disease. The partnership requires countries that face an outbreak to immediately share information and provide samples to the World Health Organization. Already, 88 countries and nine international organizations have joined the effort.

Besides early detection, the Federal Government is also focused on stockpiling vaccines, antiviral medications and accelerating the development of new vaccine technologies. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed a vaccine based on the current strain of the avian flu virus. Already in clinical trials, the Administration is planning to stockpile enough doses to vaccinate 20 million people.

"Antiviral drugs cannot prevent people from contracting the flu, but medication can reduce the severity of the flu when taken within 48 hours of getting sick," said Murkowski. "The process is started to stockpile enough antiviral medications to help treat the Nation's first responders, those on the front lines, and populations most at risk in the first stages of a pandemic. All levels of government must be prepared for a pandemic."

To equip Americans with accurate information on how to protect themselves and their families, a new website has been launched: www.pandemicflu.gov

Information about the State of Alaska's preparedness for an influenza pandemic can be found at: www.epi.alaska.gov/id/influenza/fluinfo.htm

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=248116