Europa Press Releases - Avian influenza confirmed in Europe

-Brussels 21 February 2006- Avian Influenza: France and Netherlands present vaccination plans for poultry

French and Dutch plans to carry out targeted preventive vaccination campaigns on certain poultry, as a precautionary measure against highly pathogenic avian influenza, have been presented to Member States in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) today. The presentations were followed by positive discussions in the Committee on the technical and scientific details of the plans, as these are the first such vaccination programmes against the H5N1 virus to be proposed in the EU. On the basis of today’s discussions, the Commission will now consider proposals to approve the plans and to lay down specific conditions that must be met in applying them. The discussions will continue in the Committee tomorrow morning.

The Dutch plan entails vaccinating hobby poultry and free-range laying hens throughout the whole country. The vaccination will be provided on a voluntary basis, as an alternative to the requirement that these birds be kept indoors.

The French plan foresees the vaccination of ducks and geese in the departments of Landes, Loire-Atlantique and Vendée, which are considered to be areas at high risk of avian influenza. The intention is to begin vaccination immediately and continue until April 1 2006, during which time around 900 000 birds are expected to be immunised. Both Member States outlined the monitoring and control measures that would be followed with regard to the vaccinated birds. These include the use of sentinel birds (i.e. unvaccinated control birds) to monitor for an avian influenza outbreak in the vaccinated flock, regular testing of the vaccinated and sentinel birds, and the continued application of bio-security provisions already in place.



-Brussels 21 February 2006- Avian influenza confirmed in two wild birds in Slovakia: Slovak authorities applying precautionary measures

The Slovak authorities informed the European Commission overnight of two confirmed cases of avian influenza virus H5 in wild birds, one tested in Bratislava city (mergus albellus, ‘smew’ in English, ‘Harle Piette’ in French, from the family of ducks, geese and swans) and one in Gabcikovo, district of Dunajska (a hawk). Samples will be sent to the Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza in Weybridge for further tests to determine if this is the H5N1 virus.

The Slovak authorities have informed the European Commission that they are applying the precautionary measures set out in the Commission Decision on certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Community. This Decision was adopted by the Commission on 17 February, following a favourable opinion on 16 February by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The Decision sets out the measures to be applied in any Member State of the European Union which detects a case of avian influenza H5 in wild birds which is suspected or confirmed to be the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus. The Slovak authorities are in close contact with their Hungarian and Austrian counterparts as the 10 km surveillance zones cross the Slovak-Austrian and Slovak-Hungarian borders.

The measures consist of the establishment of a high risk area (a 3 km protection zone) around each of the outbreaks and a surrounding surveillance zone of 10 km (which includes the protection zone). In the protection zone, poultry must be kept indoors, movement of poultry is banned except directly to the slaughterhouse and the dispatch of meat outside the zone is forbidden except where products have undergone the controls provided for in EU food controls legislation (i.e meat sourced from healthy animals in registered farms, subject to ante and post mortem checks by vets in the slaughterhouse). In both the protection zone and the surveillance zone, on-farm biosecurity measures must be strengthened, hunting of wild birds is banned and disease awareness of poultry owners and their families must be carried out.

-Brussels 17 February 2006- Avian influenza confirmed in wild duck in France: French authorities applying precautionary measures

The French authorities today informed the European Commission of a confirmed case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5 in a dead wild duck tested in Ain, near Lyon. A sample will be sent to the Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza in Weybridge for further tests to determine if this is the H5N1 virus.

The French authorities have informed the European Commission that they will apply immediately the precautionary measures set out in the Commission Decision on certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Community. This Decision was adopted by the Commission today, following a favourable opinion on 16 February by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The Decision sets out the measures to be applied in any Member State of the European Union which detects a case of avian influenza H5 in wild birds which is suspected or confirmed to be the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus.

The measures consist of the establishment of a high risk area (a 3 km protection zone) around the outbreak and a surrounding surveillance zone of 10 km (which includes the protection zone). In the protection zone, poultry must be kept indoors, movement of poultry is banned except directly to the slaughterhouse and the dispatch of meat outside the zone is forbidden except where products have undergone the controls provided for in EU food controls legislation (i.e meat sourced from healthy animals in registered farms, subject to ante and post mortem checks by vets in the slaughterhouse). In both the protection zone and the surveillance zone, on-farm biosecurity measures must be strengthened, hunting of wild birds is banned and disease awareness of poultry owners and their families must be carried out.