More than 100 people have died this year worldwide after being infected with bird flu with more than half the deaths occurring in Vietnam and Indonesia.
But experts believe avian influenza will soon spread to the United States, and Louisiana is not immune.
“It’s not like it’s going to be a huge wave that’s going to wash over us like Katrina,” said Richard Gibbons, LSU Louisiana Bird Resource Center coordinator. “But you need to be alert and you need to be aware that there’s a possibility.”
The flu is “not expected to diminish significantly in the short term,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection Web site.
And Gibbons said he has no doubt the flu will reach the United States because it is spreading so rapidly and predicts Alaska will be the first state infected.
“And then, it’ll just kind of make its rounds as wild and domestic waterfowl mix and humans interact with either infected population,” he said.
Christopher Cox, CDC press assistant, said it is hard for the center to speculate when the disease will reach the United States.
“The disease is really unpredictable,” he said. “It’s almost virtually impossible to say it will arrive in a certain location or describe the vivacity of the disease.”
Infected birds spread the flu through their saliva and feces.
The disease has not been found to pass from human to human yet, but experts believe it is a possibility.
“The human cases that have come about are because people have been in extremely close contact with infected poultry,” Cox said. “We don’t even restrict travel to places affected with the disease, but we certainly don’t recommend they visit any poultry farms there.”
But the federal government did issue a ban in 2004 on the importation of poultry from countries infected with the virus.
When and if the flu reaches the country, Gibbons said, the University could play a role in prevention of the disease by tracking and testing birds.
“We know how to track birds. We know when they’re moving and generally where they’re going,” he said. “We’d be happy to figure out a plan for Louisiana.”
Gibbons said he thinks the United States will be able to deal with an outbreak much more “thorough” than China and other places because precautionary measures have already been put into place.
Stopping the flu from spreading, Gibbons said, might not be so easy.
“I really don’t know that you can,” he said. “You have so many free-ranging birds in Asia that are still carrying the virus.”
Killing domestic fowl flocks may be the only answer, Gibbons said.
But Gibbons said he doesn’t think Louisiana residents are among those who should be too worried.
“I think West Nile virus, as far as from a bird’s prospective, is much more effective,” he said. “I just don’t see Louisiana being the gateway for avian flu.”
In case of an outbreak, experts suggest people keep a two-week food and medical supply at home.
“The best thing people can do is just kind of pay attention, stay informed and generally exercise good health habits,” Cox said.
 
Contact Marissa DeCuir at [email protected]