1.   But even if a diseased bird is found, inspectors say little is likely to happen.

2.   But federal inspectors say diseased birds are supposed to be condemned because they are not considered wholesome.

3.   But government inspectors at Guntersville said the company did little, if anything, to limit the number of diseased birds leaving the plant.

4.   If diseased birds begin turning up, inspectors can slow the production line to make more thorough checks.

5.   In Guntersville the company regulates the line speed and culls out diseased birds.

6.   Inspectors said they routinely found a large percentage of diseased birds during these checks.

7.   Major outbreaks have occurred this fall in Georgia and Ohio, and diseased birds have been reported in Wisconsin and Illinois and near St. Louis.

8.   Poultry scientists emphasize that diseased birds are destroyed and only well birds are sent to market, and they say the public should not fear eating holiday turkey.

9.   That means meat from thousands of diseased birds will eventually reach consumers if even a small percentage of poultry leaving the plant has tumors, infections or other diseases.

10.   The disease is spread when healthy birds come into contact with an infected bird or an object contaminated by a diseased bird.