Bird flu news
Bird flu - Commission recommends reinforced preventive measures
In Short:
The Commission recommends member states to stockpile anti-viral drugs and take reinforced preventive measures to prepare themselves thoroughly for a possible outbreak of bird flu in Europe.
Brief News:
"Bird flu must become priority for all member states and they need to start necessary investments to prepare for it," said the Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou. "The Commission is considering establishing a 1-billion-euro solidarity fund in case of a pandemic," he added. While the laboratory tests to determine whether the virus found in Romania is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain (already found in Turkey) underway, the EU banned the import of live birds, poultry meat and feathers from Romania for an initial period of six months. Confirmation of the type of the Romanian virus is expected by the evening of 14 October.
To stop the virus from spreading to European poultry, the Commission is recommending member states to take reinforced preventive measures - stockpiling anti-viral drugs and strengthening bio-security (hygiene) in poultry farms. The Commission is also in contact with vaccine manufacturers to increase their capacities and to speed up the production process. The aim is to reduce the normal production cycle of 6-8 months to a couple of weeks. According to New Scientist, "a hybrid vaccine virus" that could immunise people against the H5N1 bird flu virus has already been produced, but manufacturers cannot make it quickly enough.
The Belgian authorities have voiced concerns about EU countries competing with each other for orders of anti-virals and the problem that big countries' orders are taking precedence over the small ones. Asked whether the Commission should not coordinate the production and distribution of antiviral drugs in Europe so that they are made available where absolutely necessary, Commissioner Kyprianou responded that "the Commission does not have such powers but is willing to assist and coordinate the member states in this respect".
An emergency meeting of experts on avian influenza and migratory birds will be held in Brussels on 14 October 2005.
AI
