Europe's chief medical and veterinary officers are meeting in Brussels tomorrow to consider how to combat the spread of life-threatening strains of avian flu this winter.
The group will consider recommendations from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for both "increased biosecurity and bio-containment measures", and a contingency plan for the mass culling of poultry in the case of a possible outbreak.
In a report published yesterday, the EFSA's panel on animal health and welfare warned of existing European strains of bird flu mutating into more dangerous forms of avian influenza such as H5N1, currently present in southeast Asia.
Although the report said there was a "negligible" risk of low pathogenicity avian influenza being present in food, an early warning system should be developed for its detection as it had mutated "on several occasions in Europe and worldwide" into highly pathogenic avian influenza.
In a separate development yesterday, the Government's Working Group on Emergency Planning met to discuss the threat of a flu pandemic.
A Department of Health spokesman confirmed arrangements have been put in place to purchase sufficient packs of anti-viral drugs to treat 25 per cent of the population, in line with international recommendations.
He said the first 600,000 packs would be in stock before the end of the year, with the remaining 400,000 next year.
The department is also seeking to procure around 200,000 does of a H5N1 vaccine. However, the spokesman said, these would not be available until "next March or April at the earliest, because of a manufacturing lag".
He added the department was examining the EFSA report, which warned there "will always be a certain level of risk of introduction of AI [ avian influenza] viruses" because of inevitable contact between poultry and migratory wild birds.
"Densely populated poultry areas and poultry kept outside [free-range farms, backyard flocks, etc] under migratory flyways are most at risk," the report said.
It recommended that member states, among other things:
• strengthen biosecurity measures to ensure separation of wild birds and domestic poultry;
• increase awareness among farmers on all the possible tools and measures that contribute to reducing risk;
• enhance monitoring of free-range establishments and develop structured co-operation between ornithologists and epidemiologists;
• further tighten import controls with respect to live birds and other poultry to reduce illegal imports.
The authority also recommended vaccination of poultry flocks, as an alternative to pre-emptive culling.
"However, this should only be carried out in combination with appropriate biosecurity measures and other measures which would enable the detection of a real infection in the flock so that it is not 'masked' by the effects of the vaccine," it said.
