FACTBOX-EU action plans to combat spread of bird flu
Source: Reuters
Feb 5 (Reuters) - Britain has reported its first outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu in domestic poultry at a farm operated by Europe's biggest turkey producer. The H5N1 virus has spread into the Middle East, Africa and Europe since it reemerged in Asia in 2003 and outbreaks have now been detected in birds in around 50 countries. However, it does occasionally infect people -- there have been 271 confirmed bird flu cases in humans worldwide and 165 deaths since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. The European Union has put in place a series of rules and laws that are designed to contain and control any outbreak. Following is an outline of the plan that each of the EU's 27 countries must follow if bird flu is found on their territories: CONTROL ZONES If there is an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu: - the country concerned must set up a protection zone with a radius of 3 km (2 miles) around the affected site and a surveillance zone of 10 km (4 miles) around the protection zone. - if national authorities consider it necessary, they may immediately cull and destroy all the poultry in the holding, pending confirmation of the disease. - if a highly pathogenic strain is confirmed on a holding, all the poultry must be culled and destroyed immediately. All eggs and poultry products must also be destroyed and meat from poultry from the holding, which were slaughtered within the period presumed to cover the incubation of the disease, must also also be traced and destroyed, along with hatching and table eggs laid in the incubation period. Farmers and poultry owners who have to slaughter their poultry and birds are entitled to EU compensation for the loss in livestock and the cleaning and disinfection costs. UpP to 50 percent of those costs is covered by EU funding. If an EU country has a bird flu outbreak in its poultry: - poultry meat, eggs and products from the protection zone, surveillance zone and other risk areas are blocked from the market (except for certain products like heat-treated meat that fulfil strict conditions). - poultry meat, eggs and products from other non-affected parts of that country may, however, still be marketed and are considered as safe for consumption. In the protection zone, the following rules apply for at least 21 days after culling and destruction of the birds and an initial cleansing and disinfection of the holding where the outbreak occurred (after this time, the protection zone becomes part of the wider surveillance zone): - all poultry holdings must identified, visited and examined by national authorities. - all poultry must be kept indoors or confined to isolated shelters. Entrances and exits must be regularly disinfected. - poultry transport is banned within or through the protection zone, except for transit under certain conditions using major roads or railways. - with certain exceptions, no meat or eggs from poultry originating from the protection zone may be used. - Fairs, markets, shows or gatherings of poultry are banned. VACCINATION EU governments may carry out emergency and preventive vaccination against bird flu. Both types of vaccination campaigns are conducted out in much the same manner, with similar rules and controls. For emergency vaccination, the EU can cover all the costs of vaccines and their application. But there is no such funding for preventive vaccination. Emergency vaccination is used as a short-term measure if there is an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu within or very close to national territory, for example in a border zone. Before it is carried out, there must be a risk assessment to show a significant and immediate threat of the disease spreading from another infected area to the poultry and birds concerned. A country may start emergency vaccination before receiving approval from the European Commission provided that it issues a general ban on the movement of poultry, poultry products and other captive birds away from the area of vaccination. Preventive vaccination, a longer-term measure, must also be based on a risk assessment carried out by national experts, and is subject to strict surveillance rules for vaccinated birds. It can be used if an EU member state considers that certain poultry or captive birds in certain areas would be more at risk from bird flu should an outbreak occur. Movements of live vaccinated birds and their hatching eggs are restricted and these products may not be traded or marketed. The meat and products of vaccinated poultry can only be moved or traded if accompanied by a veterinary certificate to show that they have come from a healthy virus-free bird. Countries that use preventive vaccination must also carry out blood tests to differ between vaccinated and infected birds.
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