Avian Flu (Hansard, 28 January 2004)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)
My Lords, the authorities in Thailand have confirmed the presence of H5N1 sub-type of avian influenza in poultry in Thailand, but there have been no reports that they have found this sub-type in wild birds.

§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. Perhaps that makes the biosecurity measures needed slightly simpler. Will the Minister confirm that the importation into this 203 country of all poultry meat and eggs from all of the 10 countries now affected has been banned? What help is this country giving through the EU in response to the Food and Agriculture Organisation's call for international concerted help to address this serious and developing crisis? Will the Minister assure the House that as this is a developing crisis that is moving very fast, Statements will be made both here and in another place as appropriate and that the Government will not simply rely on Questions from these Benches to address the matter?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, there is a high level of biosecurity in this country's poultry industry but we have informed the industry itself, the Meat Hygiene Service and the port authorities that they must be extra vigilant now that this situation has occurred. As regards the banning of imports, of the affected countries in south-east Asia imports were allowed only from Thailand. Imports from the other affected countries in the area have been banned for some time. There is now an EU-wide ban on all fresh and frozen poultry meat from Thailand as well.

§ Lord Walton of Detchant
My Lords, does the Minister agree that evidence to date suggests that the transmission of this avian virus occurs only as a result of direct contact between the chickens or poultry involved and the individuals and that as yet there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the virus? Has any progress been made in producing a vaccine against this particular strain of the influenza virus?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, the noble Lord is correct in saying that there is no known human-to-human transmission and that all human cases of avian flu have arisen in people who have contact with poultry. The virus is normally transmitted both between birds and to humans via poultry droppings. That continues to be the case. Although medicines and vaccines exist that deal with some strains of avian flu, there is not yet a vaccine to counter the particular strain that we are discussing. Work has begun on it but it is unlikely to be available for several months at best. So at the moment there is no vaccine to counter the virus in humans.

§ Lord Livsey of Talgarth
My Lords, how does the Minister equate his reply with the report by Miriam O'Reilly on that excellent BBC programme, "Farming Today", earlier in the week in which she reported that she had seen on television wild birds falling out of the sky? Will any members of the veterinary department go out to the Far East to assist and to make an assessment of what is going on there with regard to the spread of avian flu?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I did not say that no strain of avian flu existed in wild birds. There is a low level of avian flu in most bird populations. However, the strain that we are discussing has not been found in wild birds in Thailand. Clearly, if the disease were to spread much closer to this country and we were affected by 204 migratory patterns the danger from wild birds would be greater, as it was at the time of the Netherlands outbreak last year. As regards veterinary help, both the veterinary side and the public health side in the form of the Health Protection Agency have offered help to the WHO, should it want it. There is a meeting in Bangkok today of the countries involved with the WHO and the FAO. We shall see whether they put in requests for help.

§ Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior
My Lords, what measures are in place to increase surveillance for the virus in both wild birds and domestic stock in this country? In connection with that, will the Minister give us an assurance that the Government will respond positively to requests for surveillance from international organisations such as WHO and other countries to detect the virus wherever it might be?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, as I have already said, we shall respond positively to requests for help from the WHO, the FAO or, indeed, the EU. On general surveillance, clearly our request to the industry, the regulatory authorities and the port authorities to maintain a high level of vigilance should cover a possible outbreak in this country. Indeed, the very high level of surveillance prevented the Netherlands outbreak of less than 12 months ago spreading far beyond the Netherlands itself, although, of course, that necessitated a very substantial slaughter of poultry within the Netherlands.

§ Baroness Byford
My Lords, what discussions has the Minister had with the industry regarding what would happen if avian flu occurred in this country? We hope that it will not occur. What would be the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to infected flocks and any contiguous culls that might be necessary?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, we have established contingency plans in discussion with the industry. We have raised the level of vigilance, as we did at the time of the Netherlands outbreak. The industry is aware of, and involved in, those contingency plans. Should an outbreak of any strain of avian flu occur in this country, affected flocks would have to be slaughtered. As contamination occurs via droppings rather than by aerial transmission, normally the issue of contiguous cull would not arise although there may be situations in which a wider cull might need to take place. As this is a notifiable disease, there are compensation arrangements.