WOE205 Avian Influenza Surveillance Program at Izembek NWR

The Interagency Strategic Plan for monitoring of wild birds, which expands and intensifies their program in 2006, focuses on this Alaska area because it is a flyway crossroads for migratory birds that annually return from their winter migration in Asia, and come in contact with other North American migratory birds that return to Alaska in the spring from wintering areas in the southern United States and Central America. Testing also is being carried out in other migratory bird flyways in cooperation with state and local agencies. This enhanced monitoring program will provide an early warning to the agriculture, public health and wildlife communities should migratory birds be found to carry the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.