European Commission ‘prepared’ in the face of US bird flu outbreak

The spread of H5NI, otherwise known as bird flu, in cattle and mammals in the United States has raised concerns among those working in disease control, but the European Union says they are well prepared. 

In response to a question from Euractiv, European Commission Spokesperson on Health, Stefan de Keersmaecker, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which carries out surveillance of the virus, says that while highly pathogenic in birds, it is infrequent for the virus to be transmitted to humans.

There is also an Early Warning Response System managed by the Commission that obliges member states to notify of any cases.

De Keersmaecker added that vaccines were available and that joint procurement contracts had been concluded so that the EU would be ready if a pandemic did hit.

“All of this shows that the European Health Union has been strengthened since the COVID-19 pandemic and that we are well prepared. Of course, we are monitoring the situation together with member states, and—of course—we also monitor very much what is happening in the US with colleagues of the CDC.”

Meanwhile, a European Food Safety Agency spokesperson told Euractiv they are aware of the situation in the US and are “closely monitoring the situation and its possible evolution.”

‘Enormous concern’

As of last week, 34 confirmed outbreaks of H5NI avian influenza had been detected in dairy cows in nine US states. The federal government has recently introduced restrictions on the movement of cattle across state borders and recommended using protective equipment for those working with dairy cattle.

On Monday (29 April), the US Department of Agriculture announced it is now testing for the virus in ground beef.  While traces of the virus have been found in milk, it is not considered dangerous if pasteurised. 

When asked about the spread of H5N1 in cattle, WHO Chief Scientist Jeremy Farrar, echoing the stance of other stakeholders, said last week that it was “an enormous concern.”

“I think we have to watch more; we have to make sure that if H5N1 did come across to humans with human-to-human transmission, that we were in a position to immediately respond with access equitably to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics,” he said.

Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), established by the Commission in 2021, identified avian flu as a priority threat and Euractiv was told by the Commission that it is supporting the development of adequate medical countermeasures, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for human use.

In his recent report on the future of the Single Market, Enrico Letta warned that pandemic preparedness is non-negotiable.

He urged the EU to establish swift, simple, unbureaucratic protocols managed by an efficient chain of command.

“Europe risks squandering the hard-won lessons of the pandemic unless it adopts a more unified approach to health. Infectious diseases know no borders, as choices made (or neglected) in one member state ripple across the Union,” he wrote.

“The World Health Organisation warns that “Disease X” is inevitable. We don’t know its form or when it will strike, only that it will, and it could be far more devastating than COVID-19.”

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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