U.S. in dilemma over poultry vaccine
US - The United States is stockpiling poultry vaccine to fight a possible bird flu outbreak, but is reluctant to use it for fear of hurting exports, a report said.Scientists say the best way to prevent a human pandemic of avian influenza is to stop the H5N1 virus while it is still mostly a problem in birds, the Wall Street Journal reported.
But poultry-industry executives say importing countries would likely close their borders to chickens from states where poultry had been vaccinated. That's because the screening tests many importing countries use for bird flu can't tell whether chickens have been treated with a vaccine or infected with the disease itself.
The U.S. exports about 15 percent of its chicken meat annually, with $2.2 billion in shipments last year, the Journal said.
Source: washtimes.com
14 December 2005
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