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Published Date: 2006-05-04 00:00:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza - worldwide (102): UK H7N3, EU, NL policy
Archive Number: 20060504.1287

AVIAN INFLUENZA - WORLDWIDE (102): UK H7N3, EU, NL POLICY
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
[1] EU explanatory message
[2] UK (England, Norfolk), poultry, H7N3
[3]& [4] The Netherlands, precautionary measures
******
[1] EU explanatory message
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2006
From: sanco-news@cec.eu.int <sanco-news@cec.eu.int>
Source: EU Avian influenza home-page, accessed 4 Apr 2006, [edited]
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/avian/ten_key_facts_about_avian_influenza.pdf>

10 Key Facts About Avian Influenza (available in 20 languages)
--------------------------------------------------
A. Core messages
1. Avian influenza type H5N1 is a disease currently affecting birds
in several parts of the world. For the moment, in the EU, most of the
affected birds are wild waterfowl such as swans and ducks.
2. The H5N1 virus, which is responsible for this animal disease, does
not easily cross from birds to humans.
3. People that have been infected in other parts of the world had
been in close contact with live or dead infected birds, principally
domestic poultry.
4. As the epidemic affects wild birds, it can be expected to continue
to affect various regions of the EU in the coming months and so we
will have to learn to live with periodic cases in birds.
5. The disease may occasionally spread from birds to other animals
such as cats. If ordinary precautions are taken in areas where
infected birds were found, this does not lead to any significant
increase in the risk to humans.
6. Very stringent veterinary measures are in place in the EU. These
seek to prevent the spread of the virus from wild birds to poultry
and to contain any outbreaks in poultry.
7. Temporary protection and surveillance zones are established in
areas where infected birds are found. In these zones, movement of
live animals is restricted, poultry is confined indoors and closely
monitored, and disinfection measures are strictly applied.
8. Very specific measures are also in place to protect domestic
poultry and to prevent infected birds entering the food chain.
9. In any case, thorough cooking ensures that meat and eggs are free
of any virus.
10. The risk to the public of catching the H5N1 virus from live
animals or from poultry products is very low and there is no need to
change food consumption habits or travel plans.
B. Consumption of poultry products
1. It is safe to eat poultry -- meat or eggs that you buy in shops in
the EU. This is because strict food safety and veterinary measures
are in place to prevent meat or eggs from unhealthy animals entering
into the food chain.
2. Trade from protection and surveillance zones within the EU (where
infected birds have been found) is only allowed under strict
veterinary controls and imports from affected 3rd countries are banned.
3. In case of an outbreak in a poultry farm, the entire flock would
be culled and disposed of immediately. Poultry meat and eggs produced
in these farms are also destroyed.
4. Even in the very unlikely event of the virus being present in meat
or eggs sold in the EU, thorough cooking destroys the virus, so
well-cooked meat and eggs pose no risk.
5. Meat from vaccinated poultry is not harmful for human health as
the virus included in the vaccine is killed and cannot multiply.
C. Groups at risk
1. People who keep birds such as chickens, ducks and geese near where
they live need not be overly alarmed, but they should be aware of the
risks. In particular, they should:
- Follow instructions from local veterinary authorities, especially
on the need to feed and water poultry indoors and to keep poultry
indoors in risk areas.
- Notify the authorities if unusually high numbers of dead wild birds
are seen, or if unusually high numbers of their birds die. In this
case, people are not to touch dead or sick birds themselves
- Keep the birds out of their home and follow good hygiene rules in
particular, hand washing with soap when in contact with birds or bird
excrement.
- Discourage their children from playing with the birds and teach
them to tell an adult if they see sick or dead birds.
- Make sure children in particular understand the rules of basic hygiene.
- Never slaughter or eat sick or dying birds, as this could carry greater risk.
2. Other people who come into regular contact with poultry (e.g. farm
workers, vets) or wild birds (e.g. hunters, bird watchers) also need
to be aware of the risks and take precautions.
3. ECDC has produced detailed guidance on the protection of people at
risk and those living or travelling to areas where infected birds
have been found. National authorities are there to advise on any questions.
4. Other members of the public
It is very unlikely that other members of the public would be in
contact with infected birds.
The following good-sense precautions are sufficient:
- Don't touch sick or dead wild birds or poultry and inform your
local veterinary authorities if you find any suspicious numbers of
dead or ill birds.
- Follow the normal rules of good hygiene -- i.e. wash your hands
with soap after contact with birds or their droppings
- If there is an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza among
birds in your area:
a. Your national authorities may impose temporary restrictions on the
movement of poultry and declare certain places off-limit to people.
It is important that you follow these instructions as they are
designed to stop the virus spreading.
b. In these areas, pet cats should be kept indoors to prevent them
from coming into contact with wild infected birds or their droppings,
and to prevent them transporting the virus on their paws and becoming
infected themselves.
D. Travel
1. There is little or no risk from travelling to countries outside
the EU or areas inside the EU where avian flu has been detected,
provided you avoid visiting poultry farms or bird markets and follow
the precautions outlined above, as indicated in the ECDC guidance.
E. Human flu pandemic
1. We do not know when the next pandemic (i.e. a large and severe
world-wide epidemic of a new human influenza virus) will happen or
which virus will cause it. H5N1 avian influenza evolving or mutating
into a form of human influenza is one possible scenario.
2. At the moment the virus responsible for Avian flu (H5N1), does not
transmit easily from human to human.
3. During the 20th century, 3 pandemics occurred: in 1918-1920, in
1957 and 1968. Experts warn that another pandemic could occur at any
time. Therefore the EU and its governments, World Health Organisation
and other UN bodies are preparing for this eventuality.
4. Vaccination against seasonal flu will not protect people from the
possible new (yet unknown) pandemic virus as each flu vaccine is
specific to a virus.
5. EU and national public authorities have prepared contingency plans
in case of a human flu pandemic, in order to be able to respond to
the health consequences very rapidly. These plans foresee measures
such as advice on public health (early isolation and mask-wearing),
the provision of anti-virals, development of vaccines, emergency
measures in healthcare systems, international co-ordination, etc.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[EU's prudent explanatory text might be useful for other countries
while addressing the issue of public education on avian influenza. - Mod.AS]
******
[2] UK (England, Norfolk), poultry, H7N3
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: The Guardian, 4 May 2006 [edited]
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1767183,00.html#article_continue>

Other farms may be involved in the bird flu outbreak near Dereham,
Norfolk, and further tests are needed before the deadly H5N1 strain
can be completely ruled out, animal health minister Ben Bradshaw
disclosed. A preliminary report could not conclude whether any of the
3 flocks infected with the less serious H7N3 strain of the virus was
the "index case". It was also not possible to determine whether the
farms were infected by the same source. Wild birds and "other
possibly infected premises" were being probed.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[UK's summarised results of surveys of wild bird populations to
screen for the presence of avian influenza were presented and
discussed in our posting 20060429.1242. According to the last
available update (26 Apr 2006), 7983 wild birds found dead (various
species) have been tested since November 2005. Including the species
of the tested birds will enable assessing the significance of the
accumulated results; see further re Dutch surveillance.
The following information, kindly provided by Jan Braakman, might be
of interest to subscribers, adding some background to the H7N3
incidence in Norfolk. LPAI H7N3 was most probably responsible for an
LPAI incidence in the province North Brabant, the Netherlands, in
December 2002, involving 3 farms (one turkey, 2 layers). The
diagnosis was established in samples kept frozen since December 2002,
which were re-tested after the H7N7 outbreak of 2003. - Mod.AS]
******
[3] The Netherlands, precautionary measures
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: AP via CBS, 1 May 2006 [edited]
<http://cbs11tv.com/health/health_story_121133646.html>

The Netherlands' Agriculture Ministry lifted an order keeping all
domestic poultry indoors on Monday, as fears over an outbreak of bird
flu eased.
Among their immediate neighbors, only the Netherlands and Belgium
were spared confirmed cases of wild birds infected with the H5N1
strain that is potentially lethal for humans. Germany, Britain,
Denmark and France, all reported cases.
The Agriculture Ministry attributed that to a mix of good luck and
good planning.
"Naturally there were the measures we took, and maybe that had its
effect, but you can also say we were just lucky," said ministry
spokeswoman Nynke van der Zee.
More than 13 000 dead wild birds have been tested in the Netherlands
since February, and none have showed signs of H5N1, Van der Zee said.
The Dutch ruffled feathers in Brussels in August 2005 by acting first
to order all commercial birds indoors without waiting for European
guidelines. The European Union Commission said then that the move was
an "overreaction," but later ordered similar measures.
At least 113 humans have died from H5N1 since 2003 as it spread from
Asia to Europe and Africa.
The Dutch skittishness was caused in part by a recent memory of
another kind of bird flu: in a major outbreak of the H7N7 strain in
2003, more than 30 million Dutch birds were culled, 89 humans were
infected and one veterinarian died.
But with the country lying along the same migratory routes on the
North Sea coast as Germany and Denmark, many experts assumed it was
only a matter of time before the disease turned up in the Netherlands.
"Why no dead swans in Holland? We really do not know," said Juan
Lubroth, head of the Infectious Disease Group for the U.N.'s Food and
Agriculture Organization. "The more we know about avian influenza,
the less we're surprised by anything. The experts are still learning," he said.
"We'll be watching what happens in Central Asia and China this spring
and summer, and then we'll see what the autumn brings," he said.
Virologist Ab Osterhaus, who advised the Dutch government on
precautionary measures, told Dutch NOS television the relief may not last long.
"I think that we'll have the same problem again in July or August,"
he said. "We can't predict it exactly, but this is a problem that
we're going to have to very much hold reckoning with in the coming years."
Switzerland also lifted its indoor order Monday [1 May 2006]. Germany
has said it will keep its birds indoors until at least 12 May 2006.
The first infection of commercial stocks was found on a French turkey
farm in February, and France is lifting quarantines on farms in the
stricken Ain region on a case-by-case basis.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[4] The Netherlands, precautionary measures
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Press release, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food
Quality [edited]
<http://www9.minlnv.nl/servlet/page?_pageid=675&_dad=portal30&_schema=PORTAL30&p_item_id=124438>

On 1 May 2006 Cees Veerman, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food
Quality (LNV), will lift the requirement to keep unvaccinated poultry
under cover. Risk assessment indicates that there is no need to
review the decision to end the requirement on 1 May. Bird migration
has passed its peak and despite very extensive monitoring no wild
birds have yet been found in the Netherlands to be infected with the
bird flu virus.
In addition to lifting the requirement to keep birds under cover, the
current ban on bird fairs and poultry markets or other gatherings of
poultry (including pigeons), flightless birds and fancy birds will be
relaxed. Starting from 1 May it will be possible in certain
circumstances to grant exemptions for gatherings of poultry and
flightless birds. For example, exhibitions will be permitted under
certain conditions. It will also be possible to hold outdoor
gatherings of fancy birds. Short competitive bird races will again be
allowed in the Netherlands and Belgium under certain conditions.
Some hygiene measures remain in force. For example, commercial
poultry may only eat and drink under cover. This will cause little
extra nuisance since poultry are already fed indoors. Commercial
poultry must not drink any water originating from surface water.
People keeping poultry as a hobby are advised to take the same
measures as the commercial keepers.
The ban on keeping poultry outdoors has been in force since 20 Feb
2006. It prevents contact between poultry and wild birds. In addition
the tops or roofs of runs and bird housing must be sealed to prevent
contamination from the faeces of wild migrating birds.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Clearly, the Dutch consider wild birds the main factor in the
epidemiology of avian influenza, followed by the risk related to
illegal imports of captive pet birds.
Based upon the Dutch experience in 2003, their policy includes an
extensive, well-planned surveillance of wild birds, selectively
targeting the most relevant species: ducks, herons, seagulls and
swans make up 71.82 percent of the 6288 sampled dead birds tested in
recent months by the central laboratory in Lelystad . See the data
(in Dutch) at
<http://www.cidc-lelystad.wur.nl/NL/onderzoek/Virus/ai/situatie/>.
Though the Dutch were first to advocate sanctioning (voluntary)
vaccination, it seems that the commercial sector has voted against.
According to data kindly provided by Jan Braakman (derived from the
newspaper Agrarisch Dagblad), only 15 908 commercially kept chickens
have been vaccinated. On "hobby" backyard farms, the figures were
higher: 18 448 chicken, 490 turkeys, 3266 ducks, and 2759 geese. - Mod.AS]

See Also