By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

April 27, 2006 - Two years ago, two counties in Texas … Gonzales and Hopkins … were the sites for a strain of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu. The difference between the state’s previous cases, and the current deadly cases that are spreading in the world, is the strain of the bacteria.

In February 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that testing in Gonzales County had showed the presence of the H5 H7 strain of avian influenza (AI).

During that time over 9,000 broilers in Gonzales County were destroyed, and testing was done on poultry in a 10-mile radius of the farm where the virus was found. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and the Texas office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent several regulatory veterinarians and a number of animal health inspectors to the area to conduct on-site inspections.

Then, in May 2004, four poultry barns, containing around 48,000 birds worth over $150,000, on two farms in Hopkins County were depopulated due to AI. The strain in the northeastern county was not as deadly as the strain in Gonzales, located in the state’s Coastal Bend region.

In June 2004, business was fairly back to normal in Texas, but the strain of H5N1 identified in Asia, Europe and Africa was just getting started.

Today, the H5N1 strain has killed or caused the slaughter of more than 200 million animals since 2003, and experts across the world are trying to identify just how to stop the spread of the strain.

Carla Everett, spokesperson for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) explained that while the TAHC is very active giving presentations around Texas, the group is “staying on top” of the issues, as with all animal situations, and there is an emergency management plan in place.

Everett noted the premise identification program would greatly help the TAHC, in case of any disease outbreak. Rather than going “door to door,” looking for certain animals, they would be able to use the premise identification program to find the places that need to be notified. While the avian flu is a “hot topic,” Everett said that it’s important for everyone to be aware of what’s going on, but not to panic.

According to stories published by The Associated Press, “more than 40 species of waterfowl and shorebirds are considered susceptible to infection.” The highly pathogenic H5N12 virus has infected over 200 people, worldwide, and over 100 have died of the infection.

The virus has led to the slaughter of more than 200 million chickens, ducks, turkeys and other domestic fowl in Asia, Europe and Africa, with little idea of how many wild birds are infected. U.S. officials are testing migratory birds in an effort to detect the virus.

The Washington Post noted that “experts project that the next pandemic, depending on severity and counter-measures could kill 210,000 to 1.9 million Americans.”

Rick Kearney, a wildlife program coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey explained that a $29 million surveillance program is under way to collect and sample 100,000 birds, with 15,000 to 20,000 in Alaska, alone. This should act as an “early warning system for poultry producers and health officials in the lower 48 states.”

While government officials are not aware of the virus being passed from a wild bird to a person, no one knows if it is even possible; yet the deaths in other countries are keeping U.S. officials aware that it could be a possibility, and precautions are being made in order to contain such an outbreak.