As EU veterinary experts agreed measures to cope with an outbreak of bird flu in commercial stocks, the Department of Agriculture here said it would set up an expert group to provide advice on controls.
Prof Michael Monaghan of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicines, UCD, will head the group. He chaired a similar group to advise on foot-and-mouth disease in 2001.
Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan made the announcement, saying the virus's recent spread to wild birds in Europe had caused concern as it increased risk of introduction here.
"It is important, given the potential consequences of an outbreak of avian flu, that my department and I have access to the most comprehensive advice available to us on an ongoing basis," she said. She added that she would ask the group to advise her of the circumstances in which it would be appropriate to require the compulsory housing of domestic poultry and other birds. Such a measure is provided for in EU legislation where the risk to poultry was considered high.
EU veterinary experts have agreed measures to allow poultry exports to continue if there was an outbreak in commercial flocks.
A buffer zone would be set up around an infected area and beyond that trade in poultry products would continue, they said.
Six EU states have so far confirmed cases of bird flu in dead wild animals, including Germany, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary and Austria. The Department of Agriculture said yesterday it had tested 650 birds for the H5N1 strain since July. All tests were negative.
Other members of the expert group are Olivia Crowe, Birdwatch Ireland; Prof Bill Hall, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, UCD; PJ McArdle, poultry expert; Donal McLoone, MRCVS; Dr Patrick Wall, UCD; Dr Paddy Rogan, Dermot A Ryan and Dr Michael Gunn, Department of Agriculture; and John Wilson, Parks and Wildlife Service.