National vets to meet over bird flu measures

By Emily Smith

Date: 27/10/05

National veterinary experts are to meet in Brussels next week (31 October and 1 November) when they will take stock of the spread of avian flu.

They meet with a question mark hanging over whether or not eating raw eggs poses a human health risk. Commission spokes-man Philip Tod said on Wednesday (26 October) that stringent EU safety tests meant only food from healthy animals would make it to European dining tables. "At the moment there is no risk for Europeans eating raw eggs," he said.

But the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued updated guidelines saying it was impossible to exclude the risk of humans contracting avian flu through eating poultry or eggs. Raw meat and eggs it said were "unlikely" to pose a threat to Europeans, but only "cooking food properly would inactivate the virus and eliminate this potential risk".

Anne-Laure Gassin of EFSA said the advice should be seen as simply in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. "Eating raw eggs can always imply a risk, regardless of avian flu. In the end it is up to consumers what they eat," she said.

EU farm ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 24 October said national action had to be speeded up to prevent mass panic reactions.

Ministers reported that national poultry consumption had "severely declined" in recent weeks, with France, Italy and Hungary saying "all possible means" should be used to prevent poultry farmers being financially crippled by the avian flu scare.

Commission spokesman Michael Mann said a regulation expected to be adopted in November should clear up an existing "legal grey area" and make it possible for the EU to cover half the price of restocking destroyed agricultural stock, including poultry. The EU already pays 50% of the cost of destroying poultry.

EU governments this week agreed to ban the import of live and pet birds to Europe, after a parrot died while in quarantine in the UK. The ban was pushed through as an emergency measure and will have to be revised before the end of November.

Bird flu was identified in Croatia on 22 October. Tests on Greek birds have, however, so far failed to prove that the virus had spread to this region, making the dead parrot in the UK the only confirmed case of avian flu within the EU.

Ministers meeting at the WHO this week emphasised the need for global efforts, saying action had to be taken first at Asian poultry farms. The meeting also concluded that a lot of work remained to be done on national preparedness plans to deal with a flu pandemic for both EU and non- EU countries.

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) said EU healthcare workers were confused about how to advise patients on dealing with avian flu. Since the question fell within the competence of member states rather than the EU institutions, EPHA said that it planned to help by publishing a checklist soon for professionals drawing up their own guidelines.

Article anticipates a meeting of national veterinary experts in Brussels, planned to take place on 31 October and 1 November 2005 to take stock of the spread of avian flu in Europe. One of the issues to discuss were the option of safety recommendations concerning the consumption of poultry and raw eggs.

European Commission: DG Health and Consumer Protection: Public Health A-Z: Influenza: Avian Influenza Fact Sheet http://ec.europa.eu/comm/health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/avian_influenza_en.htm

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