EU Health Ministers Meet on Avian Flu

EU health ministers meet on avian flu

LONDON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) — Health ministers of EU (European Union) countries Thursday gathered here for emergency talks to tackle avian flu from the 25-nation bloc after deadly strain of the virus reported in Turkey and Romania.

Amid fears that the lethal H5N1 bird flu strain will spread in Europe, the agenda of the two-day informal meeting switched from original cooperation on various health matters to how to thwart the deadly virus.

Countries across Europe are taking increasing steps to protect people against a potential outbreak.

Germany ordered farmers to keep poultry indoors as a precaution. British farmers were taking similar measures.

On Wednesday, British Health Department unveiled plans to purchase 120 million doses of bird flu vaccine to cover every person in the UK in the event of a flu pandemic.

“We cannot prevent a flu pandemic, but we can reduce its impact, ” said Liam Donaldson, Britain’s chief medical officer.

“One of the most effective counter-measures we can take against a flu pandemic is to make sure we develop and manufacture a vaccine as quickly as possible,” said Donalson.

Hungary Wednesday said it has developed a new vaccine that appeared to protect human and animals against the virus.

Earlier, an outbreak of flu in birds has been reported in poultry in the Russian province of Tula, to the south of Moscow.

The European Commission said Wednesday it planned to extend a ban on imports from Russia. Last month, the Commission banned imports from Siberia last month after an outbreak there.

Tests at a UK laboratory confirmed on Wednesday that the lethal strain of the bird flu virus had struck at the Romanian village of Maliuc.