EU vets endorse new bird flu measures

European Union veterinary experts today agreed to new measures aimed at preventing the deadly bird flu virus strain H5N1 from entering the 25-nation bloc.

The measures, agreed after two days of emergency talks, “focus on strengthening biosecurity measures on farms and introducing early detection systems in high risk areas” like wetlands frequented by wild birds, said a statement issued by the EU.

Scientists believe wild birds are to blame for bringing the virus from Asia to Romania and Turkey.

The experts said “appropriate measures” should be taken “to prevent contact between wild and domestic species as far as it is practicable to do so”.

The precautionary measures adopted or reinforced include monitoring and controls of wild migratory birds and checks at borders to ensure no banned poultry products from Romania or Turkey enter the EU.

The experts also called on poultry farmers to increase checks of their birds’ health, ensuring they report quickly any deaths or illnesses at their farms.

The experts did not recommend at this point ordering EU farmers to bring their poultry flocks indoors, nor did they recommend vaccinations among flocks or a ban on hunting of wild fowl.

They left that decision up to national governments “according to national circumstances,” but asked them to report by November 5 on “high risk areas in their territory … ensuring that the appropriate measures to separate wild birds from domesticated birds are implemented as soon as possible”.

They said if a positive case was found in the EU, the Commission and national authorities would follow rules drawn up in 2003 after the last bird-flu outbreak in the Netherlands, to isolate the risk area.

Then, the EU imposed a regional ban on the export of poultry products from the Netherlands after a bird flu outbreak there infected 89 people, killing a veterinarian and forcing farmers to destroy about 30 million chickens.

The Commission is also sending two vets and laboratory experts to Bulgaria and two similar experts to Turkey, after both requested help, EU spokesman Philip Tod said.

Three EU experts are already working in Romania to identify the virus.

Meanwhile EU foreign ministers are to hold crisis talks on bird flu to boost international coordination in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

Bulgaria, which neighbours Romania and Turkey, has increased customs checks, banned wild bird hunting and boosted monitoring of wild migratory birds to prevent an outbreak there.

Officials across Europe also tried to calm down fears that a pandemic was imminent.