Senators fault bird flu-testing plan

``We are deeply concerned that the agency has waited until this year to begin to develop a comprehensive surveillance plan for avian influenza, which will not be complete until October," wrote the group, which comprises Democrats Tom Harkin of Iowa, Harry Reid of Nevada, Barack Obama of Illinois, and Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles E. Schumer of New York, as well as Republican Charles E. Grassley of Iowa.

The senators said the department is relying too heavily on states and that many states do not have enough personnel to help coordinate.

``Consequently, some states are adequately prepared, while others are not prepared and do not even have avian influenza-response plans," the senators wrote.

A department spokesman said yesterday that officials are working to fix the problems raised in the audit, done by the department's inspector general, and that auditors approve of those efforts.

``This has been a key priority for the department," said Ed Loyd, spokesman. ``This is not something that's just theoretical to the department. We have experience in dealing with previous high-path outbreaks."

Bird flu is common in US poultry flocks, but the virulent Asian strain that has killed at least 133 people has not been found in this country.

Most of the human cases have been linked to infected birds, but scientists are concerned that the virus could mutate and spread from person to person.