AVIAN FLU: The government announced yesterday it was convening a meeting of European Union health ministers tomorrow evening to discuss the danger to humans of the outbreak of avian influenza in Thailand, Vietnam, China, and other parts of the Far East.
The director general of the World Health Organisation, Dr Lee Jong-wook, has been invited to brief ministers on the outbreak. He warned last month that avian flu risked evolving into an "efficient and dangerous" human disease.
In Vietnam there have been 18 laboratory-confirmed cases of avian flu in humans so far, 13 of them fatal. In Thailand, five people have died. In China, 13 of 31 provinces have reported the presence of the disease in poultry although no human deaths have been confirmed. The disease has spread to eight countries.
The EU's remit to legislate on health matters is limited but the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, believes it necessary to bring his counterparts together now rather than waiting for next month's scheduled council on employment, social affairs and health.
The meeting is billed as informal, meaning it will not have the power to take formal decisions, but it is intended that EU countries should co-ordinate their national measures. There will also be a review of EU measures already taken, which include bans on imports of untreated poultry meat.
Also in attendance in Brussels will be Ireland's European Commissioner, Mr David Byrne, who holds the portfolio for health and consumer protection.
Mr Byrne yesterday welcomed a vote in the European Parliament giving its backing to the creation of a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
"Outbreaks like SARS in 2003 and bird flu this year have been a wake-up call. Infectious diseases can pose a deadly threat and they do not respect national borders."