May 5, 2006

 

EU prolongs bird flu security measures through July

 

 

The European Union has decided to extend strict safety measures to guard against the spread of the deadly bird flu virus, acknowledging that the risk factor has not yet passed.

 

Meeting in Brussels, a group of EU veterinary experts endorsed a European Commission plan to prolong surveillance of poultry farms and restriction on the movement and sale of poultry in high-risk areas until the end of July.

 

France received permission to keep vaccinating birds. The country has been inoculating birds, above all ducks, in an effort to secure sales.

 

The veterinary experts also approved Austria's request for permission to vaccinate  birds in zoos.

 

Addressing the risk of contamination from neighbouring countries, Europe will also continue a ban on the imports of poultry from Romania and Bulgaria until the end of the year.

 

Concern about the H5N1 bird flu virus has risen since this spring, when outbreaks, mainly in wild migrating birds, were reported across the continent.

 

The first case of infection of commercial stocks in the EU was found on a turkey farm in France in February.

 

Some 45 countries have issued full or partial bans on poultry imports from France, depressing Europe's largest poultry producer.

 

The French Poultry Confederation has said the industry in France alone is losing EUR40 million (US$48 million) a month. In Italy, where H5N1 has not been found outside wild birds, sales are down an estimated 70 percent.