Europe races to contain deadly bird flu

LUXEMBOURG – The European Union must act swiftly to reassure the public that it can cope with a feared pandemic as bird flu outbreaks multiply, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said yesterday.

Straw, speaking as EU foreign ministers gathered for emergency talks including on the bird flu scare, sought to allay concerns but said Europe must be prepared for the worst if necessary. The EU must ensure “above all that there are the most adequate contingency plans across Europe to deal with any transfer of the avian virus to human beings,” he told reporters.”So far within wider Europe that has not happened but we have to be prepared,” added Straw, whose country currently holds the presidency of the 25-nation bloc.His comments came after the lethal H5N1 strain of the virus, which has killed over 60 people in Asia, was confirmed last week in Turkey and Romania, and after a suspected outbreak on a Greek island.Asked what he expected of the EU ministerial talks, he said: “Reassurance for citizens across Europe that the European Commission and member states really are coordinating very effectively” to counter the bird flu threat.Specifically the EU must “ensure that any outbreaks of avian flu among poultry or other bird stocks are dealt with very swiftly, very efficiently and the outbreaks are contained,” he said.The emergency Luxembourg talks were called primarily to hammer out differences on world trade talks, but the bird flu threat has forced itself onto the agenda as the EU scrambles to avoid it spreading any further.Romania slaughtered poultry feared contaminated with the lethal Asian strain of bird flu on Monday as a related form of the virus was found in Greece, heightening fears of a human influenza pandemic in Europe.Scientists confirmed on Saturday that the H5N1 virus, killer of more than 60 people in Asia and carried west by migratory birds, had been detected for the first time on the European continent in southeastern Romania’s Danube delta region.Two days earlier, it had been confirmed to be in the Asian part of northwest Turkey.Raising concerns the virus may already have spread deeper into Europe, Greece said that the H5 strain of bird flu – of which the deadly H5N1 is a member – had been found on an Aegean island near the Turkish coast, although further tests are needed to determine if it is the lethal variant.The Greek agriculture ministry said tests based on nine samples taken on October 13 on an islet off the Aegean island of Chios, had shown the presence of the H5 strain on a local turkey.Agriculture Minister Evangelos Bassiakos said experts would need “seven or eight days” to determine whether the virus was the H5N1 strain.The European Commission said that it was planning to ban the export of live birds and bird-related products from the Chios area, if test results due yesterday confirm the presence of the H5 strain there.The commission also called for tests to be carried out quickly after four dead starlings were found in Croatia.Scientists fear that H5N1 may mutate, acquiring genes from the human flu virus that would make it highly infectious as well as deadly – possibly killing millions worldwide as in the influenza pandemic of 1918.The presence of H5N1 was confirmed at the weekend in the Romanian village of Ceamurlia de Jos, and results were awaited early this week on two birds from Maliuc in the same region.Tests on 400 other suspect birds proved negative.- Nampa-AFPThe EU must ensure “above all that there are the most adequate contingency plans across Europe to deal with any transfer of the avian virus to human beings,” he told reporters.”So far within wider Europe that has not happened but we have to be prepared,” added Straw, whose country currently holds the presidency of the 25-nation bloc.His comments came after the lethal H5N1 strain of the virus, which has killed over 60 people in Asia, was confirmed last week in Turkey and Romania, and after a suspected outbreak on a Greek island.Asked what he expected of the EU ministerial talks, he said: “Reassurance for citizens across Europe that the European Commission and member states really are coordinating very effectively” to counter the bird flu threat.Specifically the EU must “ensure that any outbreaks of avian flu among poultry or other bird stocks are dealt with very swiftly, very efficiently and the outbreaks are contained,” he said.The emergency Luxembourg talks were called primarily to hammer out differences on world trade talks, but the bird flu threat has forced itself onto the agenda as the EU scrambles to avoid it spreading any further.Romania slaughtered poultry feared contaminated with the lethal Asian strain of bird flu on Monday as a related form of the virus was found in Greece, heightening fears of a human influenza pandemic in Europe.Scientists confirmed on Saturday that the H5N1 virus, killer of more than 60 people in Asia and carried west by migratory birds, had been detected for the first time on the European continent in southeastern Romania’s Danube delta region.Two days earlier, it had been confirmed to be in the Asian part of northwest Turkey.Raising concerns the virus may already have spread deeper into Europe, Greece said that the H5 strain of bird flu – of which the deadly H5N1 is a member – had been found on an Aegean island near the Turkish coast, although further tests are needed to determine if it is the lethal variant.The Greek agriculture ministry said tests based on nine samples taken on October 13 on an islet off the Aegean island of Chios, had shown the presence of the H5 strain on a local turkey.Agriculture Minister Evangelos Bassiakos said experts would need “seven or eight days” to determine whether the virus was the H5N1 strain.The European Commission said that it was planning to ban the export of live birds and bird-related products from the Chios area, if test results due yesterday confirm the presence of the H5 strain there.The commission also called for tests to be carried out quickly after four dead starlings were found in Croatia.Scientists fear that H5N1 may mutate, acquiring genes from the human flu virus that would make it highly infectious as well as deadly – possibly killing millions worldwide as in the influenza pandemic of 1918.The presence of H5N1 was confirmed at the weekend in the Romanian village of Ceamurlia de Jos, and results were awaited early this week on two birds from Maliuc in the same region.Tests on 400 other suspect birds proved negative.- Nampa-AFP

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