AVIAN FLU, 2: A bird flu monitoring program ... on 
Passport to Texas.

PTT from TPWD and the SFWR Program

Avian influenza, common among wild and domestic fowl, 
usually impacts only birds, and occasionally humans. One 
strain of influenza of interest to public health officials, 
called HPAI H5N1, can be highly pathogenic to poultry, 
and also affect waterfowl. This form has also caused 
over 200 human deaths in Europe and Asia since the late 
1990s. 

There has been no evidence; there has been not a single 
confirmed case in the North American Continent, of highly 
pathogenic H5N1. :08

Dave Morrison is waterfowl program leader for Texas 
Parks and Wildlife. 

We are doing our due diligence. We are part and parcel to the 
early detection and surveillance efforts that are currently 
ongoing in the United States this year. :08
 
The highly pathogenic H5N1 may impact humans who 
come into contact with infected birds, so US health 
officials and wildlife authorities have undertaken a North 
American waterfowl surveillance program to identify 
potential problems before they manifest.

Texas is one of the level one states for sampling. Level one means that 
we have to collect a thousand samples from migratory birds - whether 
it be migratory birds or whether it be shore birds - we have to get a 
thousand samples. And what we'll do is we will actually take swabs of 
these birds, submit them to labs, the labs will then run tests on these 
birds to determine does it or doesn't it have highly pathogenic H5N1. 
:21

We'll have more on avian influenza tomorrow.

That's our show ... supported by the Sport Fish and Wildlife 
restoration program ... 	working to increase fishing, 
hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.