Avian influenza

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2005/94/EC — EU measures to control avian influenza

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It lays down measures to be taken to control avian influenza as soon as there is any suspicion of the presence of this disease.

KEY POINTS

The EU lays down measures to control avian influenza as soon as there is any suspicion of the presence of this disease.

EU countries are responsible for:

carrying out surveillance programmes intended to detect the virus and increase knowledge in this area;
ensuring that the presence of this disease is notified to the competent authority and that epidemiological inquiries take place in accordance with their contingency plan approved by the European Commission.

When an outbreak is suspected, the competent authority immediately opens an investigation to confirm or exclude disease by clinical examination and taking samples for laboratory examinations.

The authority places the suspect holding under official surveillance and implements a series of measures including:

counting the animals;
recording the animals that are sick, dead or likely to be infected;
isolating the holding;
prohibiting the entry and leaving of birds, bird products, feed and waste;
restricting the movement of persons and vehicles;
disinfection of the holding.

These measures are withdrawn when the suspicion of the disease is officially ruled out.

The competent authorities also carry out epidemiological investigations to identify contact holdings and possible further virus spread.

This directive provides for specific measures to be taken depending on the type of disease.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)

Once the presence of HPAI is confirmed, the competent authority ensures that the following measures are applied:

all poultry and other captive birds* are to be killed;
all carcasses are to be disposed of under official supervision;
poultry hatched from eggs before the application of the initial measures is to be placed under official surveillance;
meat of poultry slaughtered and eggs collected before the application of the initial measures are to be identified and disposed of;
all substances likely to be contaminated are to undergo the appropriate treatment;
manure, slurry (animal waste, together with other unusable organic matter), bedding and all materials likely to be contaminated are to be cleaned and disinfected;
any movements of animals entering and leaving the holding must take place under supervision;
the virus is to be isolated using the most appropriate laboratory procedure.

Additionally, a ‘protection zone’ of a radius of at least 3 km around the infected holding and a surrounding ‘surveillance zone’ of a radius of least 10 km around that holding must be set up. The measures applied in these zones include:

a census of the holdings;
visits by the official veterinarian;
restrictions of transport of birds, eggs, poultry meat and carcasses.

These measures remain in place until the completion of the preliminary cleaning operations at the earliest after 21 days in the protection zones and 30 days in the surveillance zone.

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI)

Once the presence of LPAI is confirmed, the competent authority ensures that a series of measures are applied on the basis of the appropriate risk assessment. The measures to be taken vary depending on the criteria laid down, which include the species concerned, the number of holdings in the area in question, the location of the slaughterhouses and the biosecurity measures*. The measures to be applied are:

all poultry present on the holding and all other captive birds are either killed on the spot or depopulated by directly transporting them to the slaughterhouse following confinement and laboratory results that tested positive for disease. These operations must take place in accordance with the common minimum standards on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing;
the disposal of carcasses and hatching eggs must take place under official supervision;
hatching eggs collected and poultry hatched from eggs before the application of the initial measures are placed under official surveillance;
table eggs produced on the holding before the depopulation are to be disposed of or transported to a packing centre or an establishment for the manufacture of egg products;
any material likely to be contaminated is to be disposed of;
manure, slurry, bedding, buildings and all material likely to be contaminated are to be cleaned and disinfected;
mammals of domestic species are to be prohibited from entering or leaving the holding;
the virus is to be isolated.

Additionally, specific measures are to be applied in the zone known as the ‘restricted zone’ which must be set up around the infected at a radius of at least 1 km.

The measures applied in this zone concern:

a census and tests on commercial holdings;
management of the movements of poultry, other captive birds and eggs.

These measures remain in place for a length of time that varies at the discretion of the competent authority.

Spread to other species

Following confirmation of an outbreak of avian influenza on a holding, tests are performed on other mammals kept on that holding that may be infected, specifically pigs and the authority may only authorise movement of these pigs to other holdings or to slaughterhouses provided further testing shows that the risk of virus spread is negligible.

Cleansing, disinfection and repopulation

EU countries must ensure that anything likely to have been contaminated, including holdings, slaughterhouses, vehicles and other equipment, is cleansed and disinfected. The holding may be repopulated 21 days following completion of final cleansing and disinfection.

Diagnostic procedures

A diagnostic manual adopted by Decision 2006/437/EC lays down requirements, criteria and procedures to be applied to diagnostic tests and post-mortem clinical examinations (see ‘Related documents’). These operations take place exclusively in authorised national laboratories.

Each EU country designates a reference laboratory at national level working, in cooperation with the EU reference laboratory (a new laboratory will be appointed as of 1 January 2019) which is responsible for the coordination of harmonised diagnostic procedures (e.g. by performing yearly trials) and advising the Commission and EU countries on avian influenza.

Vaccination

Depending on the disease situation and the outcome of a risk assessment, EU countries may decide to introduce emergency or preventive vaccination of poultry and captive birds under a vaccination plan that must be approved by the Commission beforehand. Farms keeping vaccinated birds must undergo strict surveillance, in particular if emergency vaccination is used. The directive includes guidelines for the application of these measures and offers the possibility of setting up vaccine banks.

Committee procedure

The Commission is assisted by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed in the management of measures related to avian influenza. Among other things, this committee may take a role in defining preventive biosecurity measures.

Repeal

The directive will be repealed and replaced by the EU’s new Animal Health Law Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on 21 April 2021.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It has applied since 3 February 2006 and had to become law in the EU countries by 1 July 2007.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Avian influenza (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Captive birds: birds that have not been caught in the wild but have been born and bred in captivity from parents that mated or had gametes otherwise transferred in captivity.

Biosecurity measures: a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases in crops and livestock.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Directive 2005/94/EC of 20 December 2005 on Community measures for the control of avian influenza and repealing Directive 92/40/EEC (OJ L 10, 14.1.2006, pp. 16-65)

Successive amendments to Directive 2005/94/EC have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.