How might bird flu H5N1 reach the U.S.?
There are a number of ways that H5N1 could potentially reach the United States – wild bird migration, illegal smuggling of birds or poultry products, travel by infected people, or people traveling with virus-contaminated articles from regions where H5N1 already exists. The U.S. government carefully controls domestic and imported food products, and in 2004 issued a ban on importing poultry from countries affected by avian influenza viruses, including the H5N1 strain. This ban is still in place. The U.S. government has also determined that there is a risk to importing pet birds from countries experiencing outbreaks of H5N1 influenza.
