Avian flu news round-up

In Dublin, the Department of Agriculture and Food released a list of 11 species of wildfowl which presented a higher risk in …

In Dublin, the Department of Agriculture and Food released a list of 11 species of wildfowl which presented a higher risk in relation to the spread of bird flu.

Ireland

They are: wigeon, gadwell, teal, mallard, (northern) pintail, (northern) shoveler, the pochard, tufted duck, lapwing, the black-headed gull and the common gull.

Also yesterday, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland repeated its advice that poultry is safe to eat if properly cooked, and avian flu did not present a risk to consumers.

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Air travel

As Europe begins to cope with the reality of avian flu, airlines have drawn up plans to deal with any outbreak of the disease in humans, it emerged last night.

Reuters reported that airlines, which are only recovering from the drop in passenger numbers because of the Sars outbreak two years ago, are leaving nothing to chance. "Airlines have drawn up contingency plans to ground thousands of flights and installed disease protection supplies on planes in the event of an outbreak of the bird flu virus in Europe," the report said.

Adopting lessons from the deadly Sars epidemic in Asia two years ago, some airlines have installed masks, goggles and gloves on aircraft, while training staff how to respond.

"Contingency planning was instigated nearly a year ago to look at our operational and commercial response should avian flu result in a human flu pandemic," a spokesman for British Airways, Europe's third-largest carrier, said.

Air France KLM, the world's largest airline by revenues, said it too was liaising closely with governments, and doctors were working with cabin crew and distributing medical supplies in case of an epidemic.

Prof We Steepen, head of Deutsche Lufthansa's medical service, said the risk of encountering someone on board an aircraft with bird flu was almost non-existent and added that special air filters removed bacteria and viruses from the cabin.

The Spanish airline, Iberia, said it was liaising with governments on contingency plans.

Cambodia

Cambodia said H5N1 had returned and was confirmed in dead ducks recovered near the border with Vietnam. It was the first reappearance in months in Cambodia.

Slovakia

Slovakia confirmed its first cases of H5N1 in a wild falcon and a grebe, both found dead.

Hong Kong

Three wild birds found in Hong Kong have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu and another is suspected of having the virus, the government said yesterday. The new confirmed cases, a large-billed crow, a munia and white-backed munia, were all found dead.