Bird Flu Information

A. The choice of PPE will depend upon the local risk assessment which will take account of the nature of the disease, virus strain and the level of human exposure. Disposable PPE must be of good quality, properly maintained and issued individually. Where appropriate, a range of sizes should be available. The ‘one size fits all’ principle is not an option as, badly fitting PPE is, at best, inconvenient and, at worst, ineffective and may give a false sense of protection.

Current advice is that a FFP3(1) respirator with exhalation valve in conjunction with close fitting goggles or other equipment which gives similar levels of protection is necessary where protection against airborne transmission is required. Where a good seal cannot be achieved with other respirators e.g. because of facial hair, a full hood powered respirator should be considered. Lightweight disposable overalls with hoods should be worn to prevent contamination of personal clothing. Wellington boots, disposable surgical type rubber/vinyl gloves should be worn. Where available, toughened, tear resistant brands are preferred.

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Further information on PPE is available on the Health & Safety Executive website.

A. The Food Standards Agency considers that the outbreak of avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. This is because the risk of catching the disease in humans is from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease and not through eating poultry. There have been no reports of people handling poultry meat getting infected. WHO advice is that there is no health risk from well cooked poultry meat or from eggs.

Q 18. Can I get AI from handling wild birds?

 A. Avian Influenza is not known to be present in the country. Wildfowlers and those in contact with wild birds should always take appropriate hygiene precautions when handling wild birds.

A. There have been outbreaks of AI in parts of SE Asia for over 18 months now and there have been reports of infection of birds in South East Russia and in Kazakhstan.

There is a great deal of uncertainty about the situation in Russia and Kazakhstan. We do not know what their background level of surveillance is and it is possible that this disease may have been endemic in the region for some time - they may have just looked for the first time and found it - we simply do not know. More recently there has been a reported outbreak in Turkey (please see question 31).

Q 20. What are the chances it could come here?

A. There is always a low risk that any avian influenza virus may be introduced to the UK via migratory birds or other routes. Once here, LPAI could mutate into a highly pathogenic form.

On 17 August 2005, Defra updated its provisional assessment of the risk from avian influenza in Central Asia. This is available on the Defra website.

It concludes that recent reports of H5N1 virus in Russia do not significantly alter our previous conclusion regarding the increased (but still low) likelihood of the introduction of H5N1 virus to the UK. We will continue to monitor developments and reassess the situation when additional information becomes available.

A. In line with EU-wide measures, we have banned imports of live birds and products which could potentially transmit the disease to other birds. This includes unprocessed feathers, as they might be contaminated with faecal material which can transmit the disease. Our risk assessment supports the view that no further preventative action in respect of legal imports is necessary at this time.

A. European Community rules aim to prevent the import of susceptible birds and products which might carry disease from countries known to be experiencing outbreaks of HPAI. Animals and products imported from third countries are subject to veterinary checks on arrival to determine that they comply with import rules. An unquantifiable risk exists in respect of illegally imported animals and products.

A. We have no plans to update our rules on labeling meat in response to AI outbreaks in other countries – as we do not allow imports from such countries.

A. The risk remains low that we will experience and outbreak of HPAI in the near future. However, all keepers of birds will wish to be vigilant about the health of their birds. They should also consider the biosecurity guidance available on the Defra website, or through their local animal health offices. Local private veterinary advisers should also be able to advise on appropriate measures.

Q 25. Should free-range poultry be locked up?

A. In discussion with the industry, we are content that the risk of AI spread to domestic poultry remains low and that currently, there is no need for the industry to house free-range birds. However, all keepers of poultry should plan ahead and consider how they would manage their flock and any consequent welfare problems if they were required to isolate them from wild birds e.g. in the event of a nearby outbreak of AI. For example you might wish to consider whether to prepare material for a temporary extension to your housing.

A. Industry representatives agree with the Government’s assessment that the risk remains low, but we are not complacent. There is an up to date risk assessment on AI, biosecurity guidance and core briefing on the issues on the Defra website. We are reviewing with key stakeholders what further steps might be necessary in which circumstances and will develop our communications strategy further in that light.

A. There is a constant low risk of AI entering the country through migrating wildfowl. The Government assessment is that that risk remains low. This is constantly reviewed. Key industry stakeholders agree with the Government’s current assessment that no further precautionary action is required at the moment.

Any action would have to be based on our own risk assessment and be proportionate. Housing free range birds, for example, is not a simple matter as many farms buildings are not designed to house birds permanently. Welfare, marketing and economic factors would need to be taken into account and we would need to know in what circumstances we could withdraw any additional precautionary measures.

A. Poultry keepers are advised to maintain vigilance for the signs of any disease and report any concerns to their

They should maintain a high standard of biosecurity. Advice is available on the Defra website.

Q 29. Was HPAI found in a seagull in Finland?

A. Finnish officials have confirmed that a low-pathogenic strain of avian flu virus was found in three seagulls discovered dead, but that the birds had died of starvation, not the disease itself.

Tests were carried out to determine the exact strain of the virus the birds carried. The National Veterinary and Food Research Institute ruled out the highly pathogenic version H5 or H7 strains and confirmed that it was a low pathogenic form of avian influenza commonly found in wild birds.

The three EU laboratory experts sent to Romania by the European Commission have confirmed that avian influenza virus H5 has been detected in tests on two samples from a chicken and a duck taken in a suspected backyard farm in the Danube delta. This finding has been confirmed by using reagents the EU experts took with them from the Community reference laboratory. Further tests are necessary to ascertain if the virus in question is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain circulating in parts of Asia.

On 13 October 2005 the Commission adopted a decision to ban imports of live birds, poultry meat and other poultry products from Romania following the new tests by EU experts. Imports of live birds and feathers from Turkey have been banned since Monday following the finding of Avian Influenza there.

Turkey has reported an outbreak of avian influenza to the European Commission. The outbreak occurred in an open-air turkey farm with 1800 turkeys, 1700 of which died after that the first clinical signs were detected on 1 October. All remaining birds on the farm and in the village have been killed and all carcasses destroyed. Disinfection has been applied. The farm is located in the Region of Balikesir, in the north-western part of Anatolia. Laboratory tests have given positive results for avian influenza virus serotype H5. Further tests are pending to determine the pathogenicity of the isolate and the "N" of the virus strain. The origin of the outbreak is unknown. There is so far no information on whether wild birds in the area are infected. The Turkish authorities are investigating whether this incident could have been caused by the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain circulating in parts of Asia.

A. The EU Expert Group agreed that member states should increase sampling of migratory wildfowl along the flyways that could pose a risk for disease introduction. The Government has already met bird experts to develop proposals and has submitted a plan to the European Commission. Member states will be meeting in the next few days to discuss their proposals. The aim is to put in place arrangements quickly. The survey of poultry during the winter will also go ahead. A questions & answers page about

A. The Government’s contingency plan was laid before Parliament on 21 July 2005.

As required under EU legislation, disease control would include killing infected birds and dangerous contacts, and the imposition of movement controls around the infected premises. A new AI Directive is currently being negotiated.

A. There is provision in the Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 for the imposition of a compulsory vaccination zone. However, in view of the limitations, summarised below, vaccination is not expected to be part of the current GB avian influenza control strategy.

 However, there may be a role for vaccination in the protection of zoological collections of rare breeds or endangered species. Such use would be subject to a Commission Decision adopted by the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health in Brussels.

A. It is possible for certain AI viruses to infect pigs. The virus has been found in pigs in the Far East. Pig to pig transmission is limited and is not believed to play a part in the spread of disease.

A. Awareness of bird disease has been heightened in the UK due to the recent outbreak of Newcastle disease; keepers of poultry will be increasing their vigilance.

Surveillance for the disease has several key strands:

A. The Government’s

It sets out all the steps to be taken if a suspected case of disease is notified and how the Government will control any confirmed outbreak.

Previous outbreaks of avian influenza in this country have been rapidly contained and eradicated. However, Parliament extended the Government’s range of powers to tackle AI available during the Netherlands outbreak in 2003.

Detailed instructions and the necessary equipment and drugs that will be available to Government staff on managing an outbreak are in place. This includes protection against being infected.

A. Yes. Customs are responsible for anti-smuggling controls on products of animal origin from third countries (including Turkey and Romania). Their enforcement activity is based on risk. Given the recent outbreaks of Avian Flu Customs are increasing their levels of checks on passengers from these countries.

A. Yes. The Dutch authorities are using a temporary veterinary restriction under the EC Egg Marketing Regulations (Commission Regulation (EC) No 2295/2003 - as amended by 1515/2004 - introducing detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing standards for eggs). Annex III: ‘Minimum requirements to be met by poultry establishments for the various egg farming methods of the EC Egg Marketing Regulations’ of Commission Regulation 2295/2003, states:

 ‘Free-range eggs’ must be produced in establishments which satisfy at least the conditions specified in Article 4 of Council Directive 1999/74/EC(1) and in which:hens have continuous daytime access to open-air runs, except in the case of temporary restrictions imposed by veterinary authorities.

Q 42. Does the UK have grounds for banning the import of such eggs?

A. The UK does not have grounds for banning the import of such eggs, as the Regulations themselves do not contain any provision permitting such unilateral action, and nor does EC law more generally. Although Member States may (under Article 30 of the EC Treaty) prohibit imports of goods on certain grounds (eg public morality, policy, or security; or the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants) these grounds are construed narrowly and would not apply here.

A. This is of course a matter for the relevant retailer or food processor, who are advised to seek their own legal advice relating to the way they present relevant products onto the market. For example, although free-range eggs may continue to be marketed as such under the EC Egg Marketing Regulations, retailers may make promotional statements that go beyond those Regulations, where perhaps general trade descriptions considerations might apply.

A. No. Under the EC Poultrymeat marketing regulations, there is no provision for the maintenance of the ‘free-range’ status of meat in cases where a temporary veterinary restriction is in place. If birds have been kept indoors because of such a restriction, then meat coming from such birds should not be marketed as ‘free-range’ meat if this results in a contravention of the ordinary rules relating to access to outdoor runs. For example, in the case of ‘free-range’ poultry, free-range status is not automatically removed at the point a bird is denied access to range outdoors. It loses this status if the controls mean that the bird will have lived for more than half of its life inside.

There are stricter controls in the case of poultry marketed as ‘traditional free-range’ and ‘free-range - total freedom’. Such birds must have continuous daytime access to open-air runs from a specified age. If the birds do not have such access after that age then they cannot be marketed using these terms.

This situation has been drawn to the attention of the European Commission to consider amending the relevant EC Regulations to provide a provision for poultrymeat similar to that which already exists for eggs. The EC is considering the matter.

A. Much the same considerations arise for organic eggs and poultry. To qualify for the organic designation birds have to have access to range for one third of their life. In addition much organic egg and poultry production is also produced to the free range standard besides being organic.

During requirements gathering it became apparent that many stakeholders considered a central consolidated set of poultry data an essential tool to ensure that Defra and it’s delivery partners could respond appropriately in the event of a disease outbreak. There is increasing public interest and concern around the threat of an Avian Influenza outbreak and new EU legislation is being introduced which requires a central consolidated set of poultry data, Livestock Register will help farmers to comply with these new legal obligations.