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Full Story:
Avian flu ("Bird-Flu") is expected to be carried to the United States this year by migratory birds, the White House said on May 3rd, 2006.
Frances Townsend, White House adviser on homeland security, said that "while the human pandemic threat is unpredictable, the spread of influenza in birds is predictable" and that "it is possible, in fact likely, that the virus will appear in our wild bird population this year."
Scientists in the United States are examining birds that have migrated to the U.S. from Asia and Europe to gain early warning of the flu's arrival. Townsend has pointed out that the arrival of avian flu in our wild bird population will not necessarily represent a risk to our domestic poultry population. Given past experience with animal-human transmission of disease however, government, industry and private individuals should take steps for protection.
Some of the $7.1 billion funding the Bush administration has asked Congress for its efforts in relation to preparing for a possible pandemic, has already been approved.
Avian flu, which first appeared in Asia, is now in about 50 bird flu-affected countries. So far, there is no evidence that it can be transmitted from humans to humans, but 113 of the 205 people who contracted the disease through animals have died.
 COMMbits has designed and just launched a project for the Crisis Control Company of Canada to make it easy for individuals, families and business to buy a Pandemic Preparedness Package (P3) on-line. The package contains items approved by Health Canada.
For more details on Avian Flu and the Pandemic Preparedness package, which is currently only available in Canada, please click on the website picture to visit the newly launched site at www.crisiscontrol.ca.
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