December 13, 2005

Guidelines endorsed to protect European poultry workers

Guidelines to protect poultry workers from bird flu were endorsed by chief medical and veterinary officers from European countries on Dec 12.

The guidelines, proposed by Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), will provide European governments with appropriate surveillance measures in carrying out local risk assessment and controlling infection of birds.

Stipulating that contact with infected birds be minimised and people be separated from possible sources of infection, the guidelines also recommend the use of protective equipment such as disposable gloves, masks, goggles or helmets when dealing with suspicious birds, and the use of anti-viral drugs if needed.

According to the ECDC, the risk of poultry workers being infected by the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu virus is low. However the risk of human infection following exposure to other highly pathogenic bird flu, such as H7N7, is higher even though the disease resulting in humans tends to be less dangerous.

Following outbreaks of bird flu in from Croatia, Romania, Russia and Turkey in recent months, the EU had imposed an import ban on live birds and other poultry products from these countries.