EU states bolster defences against bird flu

THE arrival of bird flu in the EU prompted governments yesterday to bolster their defences against the deadly H5N1 virus as farmers braced for a plunge in the €20 billion poultry industry.

Health officials on three continents went into emergency high gear as suspected and confirmed cases of the deadly bird flu in both humans and fowl continued to accumulate.

Greece was testing a man for possible bird flu yesterday, two days after the deadly H5N1 virus first appeared in wild birds in the EU.

Italy, Greece and Bulgaria reported their first cases of the virus that has spread from Asia to Africa, killed 90 people and led to the destruction of millions of birds.

With the discovery of the disease in Nigeria, Europe’s governments had focused on the threat from returning migratory birds in the spring, but the new cases have added extra urgency.

British MEP Neil Parish said: “The real threat will come from the migratory birds carrying the disease and they will be heading back to Europe shortly for the summer.

“It is imperative that poultry farmers in the EU are aware of the flight paths that birds will take so they can take simple precautions to protect their stocks. If we can keep bird flu out of our poultry, we can keep it away from humans.”

In Rome, farmers’ group Coldiretti said poultry sales had plunged more than 50% after the weekend’s news.

In Bulgaria, wetlands where infected birds have been found were cordoned off and people warned over contact with waterfowl.

The country’s chief vet Zheko Baichev said his teams were prepared to cull birds and cut off villages if the deadly disease jumped to domestic birds.

The area has been quarantined and veterinarians said stray dogs and foxes will be killed if seen there.

Croatia and Bosnia banned imports of live birds and poultry products from Slovenia, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria.

Industry officials in Greece said poultry sales had plunged 95% since Saturday.

In Bulgaria, consumption was expected to plummet by another 20% after already dropping 30% since the autumn when the virus was detected in neighbouring Romania and Turkey.

The Balkan state is one of Europe’s main producers of foie gras and more than 600 tonnes of the delicacy have piled up in warehouses due to rejected orders.

Romania, which has found bird flu in 29 villages since October, raised duties on poultry imports to 70% to protect producers, who said the sector was on the brink of collapse.

In Africa, UN experts joined their local counterparts in Nigeria to help contain the H5N1 outbreak that has spread to six poultry farms, even as officials awaited blood-test results for two children hospitalised with flu-like symptoms.

If confirmed, they would be the first human cases of the virus in Africa.