State defends bird flu preparations

THE Government last night defended its preparations against any outbreak of the deadly Asian bird flu after a poultry virus in Turkey was confirmed as the same strain that killed dozens in Asia.

The deadly H5N1 strain, which scientists worry might mutate into a human virus and spark a pandemic, has killed more than 60 people across Asia, wiped out poultry industries worth billions and led to the culling of 140 million birds.

However, with the virus confirmed in Europe, Government preparations were criticised as it emerged much of the population will remain unprotected until sometime next year in the event of an outbreak here.

In April, the Department of Health placed an order with Roche for one million antiviral treatment packs of ‘Tamiflu’ - enough to cover 25% of the population, as recommended internationally.

However, just 600,000 packs will be in place by the end of this year, enough to cover 15% of the population, with the remainder due in the new year.

Fine Gael Health spokesman Denis Naughten questioned why treatment packs could not have been acquired sooner.

“We should be better prepared for things like this rather than doing it in a haphazard manner. Now there is going to be a buying panic throughout the EU,” he said.

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin also criticised the slow arrival of treatment packs and called on the Government to provide extra resources.

But a spokesman for Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney defended preparations. “My information is that we are well prepared and, in fact, ahead in terms of the order that we put in. We are on a par in preparedness with any other country,” he said.

Following an emergency meeting of the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health yesterday, EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou called on all countries to be extra vigilant and warned those travelling from affected areas to avoid entering farms.

The EU has introduced a series of safeguards including a ban on poultry birds and uncooked poultry products from a dozen Asian countries.

Chicken imports from non-EU countries to Ireland amounted to 4,727 tonnes last year, two tonnes of which was from Turkey.

Aside from the health implications, an outbreak here would cause economic devastation to the €360m poultry industry, which employs more than 6,000 in up to 2,000 farms.