Smuggled pets worry bird flu watchdogs

WASHINGTON-- Is that a feather sticking out of your suitcase?

Bird flu entering the U.S. through smuggled wildlife is a growing worry for government officials already on the lookout for migrating wild birds.

The concern over the trade in wild animals, pets and animal parts has some precedent, here and abroad.

The deadly H5N1 virus that has spread through Asia, Europe and Africa but has not arrived in the U.S. Scientists fear the virus could evolve into a form that would pass easily from person to person, sparking a global epidemic.