Britain to assess bird flu risk

UK farmers have taken extra measures to protect their broods

Outbreaks of bird flu in Romania and Turkey are of concern and show there is a risk to the UK, the government's chief vet has said.

Dr Debby Reynolds said a rapid risk assessment for Britain will be carried out after a deadly strain of avian flu was found in Turkey.

She was speaking after the virus was identified as the H5N1 strain that killed more than 60 people in Asia.

But the government has rejected calls for the wild bird trade to be banned.

Imports banned

Sustainable Farming Minister Lord Bach rejected Liberal Democrat calls for the wild bird trade and bird fairs to be banned because of the danger of avian flu being imported.

He told the House of Lords poultry imports were subject to strict regulation but he added those covering pet birds were not as stringent.

It shows there is a risk to the UK and this is a developing situation, which we are monitoring closely Debby Reynolds Chief Veterinary Officer Reason to be fearful?

News of the outbreak in north-west Turkey came after avian flu was also confirmed in ducks in Romania. The EU said those cases were assumed to be the same strain.

The European Commission has banned the import of live birds, poultry and feathers from Romania.

Samples of the dead birds were sent from Turkey and Romania to the UK for laboratory analysis.

Reports urged

The government says it is doing everything it can to prevent imported birds bringing avian flu into Britain.

Dr Reynolds said: "Confirmation that highly pathogenic avian influenza has been found in Turkey and that avian influenza is now also in Romania is of concern."

Europe is taking steps against avian flu

"It shows there is a risk to the UK and this is a developing situation, which we are monitoring closely."

The key to tackling bird flu was to detect it early, she said.

"We have already enhanced our surveillance of wild birds, working with other (EU) member states, and we have a full public contingency plan in place for tackling any outbreak.

"Any suspicion of disease should be reported immediately.

"All poultry keepers must strengthen their bio-security and make a plan to protect the health of their birds."

'Close contact'

An NFU spokesman stressed the flu virus was an avian disease.

"What we want to emphasise is that even though it's the human H5N1 strain that's been identified, it's primarily a disease that infects birds," he said.

"Humans have to be in very close contact for a great amount of time for it to be passed on."

He said UK farmers had redoubled their bio-security measures because of what had happened in Romania and Turkey.

That included measures such as keeping the areas around poultry enclosures clean and washing clothes, vehicles and boots.

Anti-viral drugs

He stressed the World Health Organisation had said there was no risk to humans from eating well-cooked poultry or eggs and that UK poultry products were safe for consumers.

Conservative Health spokesman Andrew Lansley said the UK was not completely ready for the effects of a human flu outbreak and behind some countries in the queue for anti-viral drugs from pharmaceutical companies.

The drugs could reduce symptoms and the number of deaths, he said.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said the government was stockpiling anti-viral drugs.