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Cheney says bird flu could pose economic risk The Star, 21 Jan 2006 |
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Friday that if avian flu were to arrive in the United States, it could deal a blow to the U.S. economy because of disruptions to businesses, schools and transportation systems. "It's the kind of thing I think that probably would have a major impact," Cheney told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt. "There are things clearly that would have significant economic consequences were there to be such a pandemic." Cheney said in an interview early measures if there were signs of the disease included shutting down transportation systems and closing schools and public meeting places to minimize the possibility of transmission. |
H5N1 avian influenza now mostly affects birds but it has occasionally jumped to people, killing around 80 people in six countries. The fear is that the virus could mutate into a human influenza, spread quickly and kill millions globally. The virus has never been found in the United States, but the country is taking extensive precautions, including checking poultry and chicken products and taking part in international efforts to prevent a pandemic. |
On another topic, Cheney said the U.S. economy was performing "superbly" and said he was skeptical the boom in the U.S. housing market in recent years had developed into a bubble. "I'm not in a position today to be able to say there's a bubble out there. I'm not really confident that there is one," he said. The White House in recent weeks has launched an effort to publicize what it sees as upbeat data about the U.S. economy that it believes is not getting enough attention. Cheney said he believed positive economic news was not being "adequately covered in the press." "I think the mainstream press has more of a tendency to go to try to find problems and harp on those and spend a lot of time focused on those," he said. |
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