Bird man of Charleston: New public health vet also bird flu expert.

Byline: Morgan Kelly

Jun. 19--The worrisome strain of bird flu popping up in Africa, Asia and Europe moves pretty fast. Dr. David Henzler saw it himself -- even helped kill infected flocks. Yet he remains calm.

"Remember Y2K," Henzler asked. "Personally, I wasn't worried at all. I'm just a bit more concerned with this one, but I'm confident [we'll] find it very early in the United States and likely contain it."

Henzler took on the role of West Virginia's new public health veterinarian in April, but he also happens to be a leading authority on containing bird flu.

From his office in Charleston, Henzler watches for cases of animal-borne diseases that can infect humans: classics such as rabies, West Nile and Lyme disease, among many others. He even keeps a sharp eye for stranger cases, such as Plague and tularemia, a bacterial infection usually spread through rabbits.

He talks with the public about animal disease, and the meetings he attends now include doctors and nurses, instead of vets, farmers and livestock.

But his all-bird-flu-all-the-time life lingers in the recent past.

As he browses files from his last job with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, pictures of …