§ Mr. WigginTo> ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation her Department will make available to farmers affected by avian influenza. [102363]
§ Mr. MorleySchedule 3 to the Animal Health Act 1981 provides that, where the Secretary of State causes birds to be slaughtered, compensation for poultry that are not diseased shall be their value immediately before slaughter. No compensation is paid for diseased poultry.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which vectors carry avian influenza. [102364]
366W
§ Mr. MorleyThere are no known insect vectors of avian influenza. Avian influenza spreads by the movement of infected birds, products of infected birds and contaminated materials.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what symptoms are shown by poultry with avian influenza. [102365]
§ Mr. MorleyThe clinical signs of avian influenza are variable and depend greatly on the characteristics of the particular virus involved, and on the species and age of the infected poultry.
Infection of chickens with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus typically causes severe respiratory signs, swelling of the head, blue discoloration of the wattles and comb and diarrhoea. Death may occur between one and seven days after first appearance of clinical signs.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries had outbreaks of avian influenza in(a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002. [102369]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Office International des Epizooties (World Animal Health Organisation) records that the countries that had outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the relevant years are as follows:
- 2000
- Italy
- Pakistan
- 2001
- Hong Kong
- Saudi Arabia
- 2002
- Chile
- Senegal.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research into avian influenza she has commissioned. [102371]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Veterinary Laboratories Agency undertakes on-going research into avian influenza. The main aims of this research are to:
- i) provide a rapid realistic diagnostic service for statutory tests;
- ii) provide an international reference laboratory service;
- iii) improve diagnostic methods of virus detection and characterisation;
- iv) improve our understanding of virus virulence, host range, host adaptation and disease pathogenicity; and
- v) improve our under standing of avian influenza epidemiology.
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency is also about to co-ordinate a survey for avian influenza viruses in poultry and wild birds. All EU members states are being asked to carry out surveys in accordance with Commission Decision 2002/649/EC to provide information on the incidence strains of low pathogenicity, some of which may have the potential to mutate to high pathogenicity.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinarians are available from the Government's veterinary service to deal with the outbreak of avian influenza. [102373]
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§ Mr. MorleyAt the present time, there is not an outbreak of avian influenza in Great Britain.
There are currently 211 State Veterinary Service permanent Veterinary Officers (VOs) and 48 casual VOs (full-time equivalents) located throughout GB. These would be deployed to eradicate the disease as necessary. Additional veterinary resources could be commissioned in a similar manner to that set out in Defra's Foot and Mouth Contingency Plan, which is scheduled to be laid before Parliament in late March 2003.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she gives on the treatment of chickens which do not die from avian influenza, but which are on infected farms. [102402]
§ Mr. MorleyEU Council Directive 92/40 lays down that once the presence of avian influenza has been officially confirmed on a holding, all poultry on that holding shall be killed without delay.