WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * As Bird Flu Spreads, Reed Calls for Hearings & a Comprehensive National Strategy * WASHINGTON, DC - As highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as 'bird flu' or 'avian flu' continues to spread worldwide and decimate American poultry flocks, it has also now infected dairy herds in 18 states. While the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the agency which serves a  more