With France recently reporting the first outbreak in the European Union of Bird flu in commercial poultry, businesses in Europe are beginning to realise they need to be as ready as their Asian counterparts for a possible human flu pandemic.

28 February 2006

AMSTERDAM - With France reporting the first outbreak in the European Union of Bird flu in commercial poultry, businesses in Europe are beginning to realise they need to be as ready as their Asian counterparts for a possible human flu pandemic.

France is the latest of the 13 countries that have reported their first cases of H5N1 infection in birds since the beginning of February. The 13 countries, listed in order of reporting, are Iraq, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Iran, Austria, Germany, Egypt, India and France.

Although, as the World Health Organisation reports, no cases have been linked to the consumption of properly cooked poultry meat or eggs, even in households where disease was known to be present in flocks, the outbreak in France has prompted several countries to restrict or ban imports of French poultry and poultry products.

The WHO confirms that for human health, experience elsewhere over the past two years has shown that the greatest risk of cases arises when the virus becomes established in small backyard flocks, which allow continuing opportunities for close human contact, exposures, and infections to occur.

Iraq is the only country of the 13 recording the virus in February which has reported cases of human contagion; both of the reported cases resulted in fatalities.

Malaysia has also reported a fresh outbreak in poultry after having been considered free of the disease for more than a year reports WHO.

Responding to the concerns of global companies, today Mercer Human Resource Consulting has launched a global initiative and a dedicated website, www.mercerhr.com/avianflu, to provide companies with planning information and advice to address the people challenges of a potential global flu pandemic.

"The threat of an avian flu pandemic is already very real for companies with employees in Asia, but European employers need to be prepared too," said Charles Nelson, Worldwide Partner at Mercer in London. 

"As well as business continuity planning, employers will need to think about their leave policies, crisis support systems, insurance plans and travel rules.  The earlier they start planning, the better," he said.

[Copyright Expatica 2006]