US mulls troops for bird flu quarantine

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is looking at the possibility of using federal troops to enforce a quarantine in the event of an outbreak of pandemic bird flu in the United States, a senior official said.

President George W Bush said last week he would consider using the military to “effect a quarantine” in response to any outbreak of avian influenza, but provided few details.

Bush at the time also suggested he might place National Guard troops, normally commanded by state governors, under federal control as part of the government’s response to the “catastrophe” of such a flu pandemic.

Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said quarantine law historically has been under the primary jurisdiction of states, not the federal government. “And my expectation is that any quarantine measures that would be put in place would  involve a substantial employment of the National Guard, probably under  control of the governor of an affected state,” McHale told a group of reporters.

“However, we are looking at a wide range of contingencies, potentially involving federal troops if a pandemic outbreak of a biological threat were to occur,” McHale added.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has killed or forced the destruction of tens of millions of birds and infected more than 100 people, killing at least 60 in four Asian nations since late 2003.

Experts fear that the virus, known to pass to humans from birds, could mutate and spread easily from person to person, potentially killing millions worldwide. Experts have questioned America’s preparedness.

One issue that could face the US government in the event of an outbreak is how to cordon off parts of the country to prevent the disease from spreading.