S. Dakota U. bird flu test center to open

BROOKINGS, S.D., Nov 14, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- South Dakota State University says it will become a testing center for the highly virulent strain of avian influenza identified as H5N1.

Dr. Jane Christopher-Hennings, associate professor with the school's Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, said the lab will be one of several centers around the country, with testing on birds expected to begin within the next few months.

"The test is beneficial in the sense that you can determine if the bird has flu almost immediately, within the day after we get the samples," Hennings said.

That early detection is key in containing the spread of the disease among birds and providing surveillance to determine what strains are currently present in birds.

Dr. Tanya Graham, associate professor and diagnostic pathologist with ADRDL, said once the disease is detected in a flock of domestic birds, the entire flock must be destroyed. That's why it's so important to diagnose the disease quickly, she said.

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