To prevent and control outbreaks of avian influenza in Europe, the Commission has proposed legislation that, if approved, will require European Union member states to introduce or reinforce surveillance and control measures against these low pathogenic viruses [1,2].

There is concern that avian influenza viruses with low pathogenicity may mutate into highly pathogenic viruses. If such a virus then developed the characteristics to transmit from birds to humans, and then transmit efficiently from human to human, and if the general population had little or no immunity to the virus subtype, it might be able to cause an influenza pandemic.

Existing legislation [3] from 1992, which this proposed Directive would replace, enforces control measures for highly pathogenic influenza viruses only, but more recent evidence from outbreaks since 1997 suggests that highly pathogenic viruses might develop from viruses with lower pathogenicity, as was demonstrated most recently during the A/H7N3 outbreak in Canada [4]. While viruses of low pathogenicity cannot be eradicated from wildfowl such as ducks and geese, the new legislation would require surveillance and control measures in domestic poultry. It is hoped that this will reduce the occurrence of low pathogenic avian influenza in poultry and thereby the chances of the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The Community Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in the United Kingdom will collate all serological and virological results of surveillance, and the Commission and member states will revise surveillance plans based on the laboratory’s findings.

Both protective and emergency vaccination are covered extensively in the proposed legislation. Vaccination will be strictly monitored, and strategies will allow differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated flocks, and it is hoped that the impact on trade of birds and eggs will be minimal.

The European Commission continues to provide emergency technical and financial support to the Asian countries in coordination with the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), but for the moment, eradication of avian flu in Asia is not a realistic short-term objective

Funding for the new measures is expected to come from the EU Veterinary Fund, and if approved, the Directive will come into force in January 2007, replacing the current Directive.