With all the media attention recently, the definitions and
implications of avian (bird) flu and a human influenza pandemic
have blurred and merged into each other. There is a major
differentiation and the City of London’s response to these risks is
different.
What is avian flu?
As with humans and other species, birds are susceptible to flu.
There are 15 types of avian (bird) flu. The most contagious
strains, which are usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7. Currently
the strain of avian flu working its way around the globe is H5N1.
This strain of flu is contracted by birds and, although around the
world just over 150 people have been infected by the H5N1 virus,
experts have stated that these cases have been when humans
have had extremely close contact with infected birds.
There is no way of preventing the spread of avian flu because it
is carried by migrating birds. However, that does not mean it
will be passed to domestic flocks. There are currently no cases of
H5N1 in UK poultry. Experts say proper poultry controls - such
as preventing wild birds getting in to poultry houses - which are
present in the UK, should prevent the spread to poultry.
Advice
- The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) who are the Government Agency leading on this have issued
extensive guidance to bird keepers on bio-security measures on the
DEFRA
website to protect their birds from avian influenza. It
is crucial that keepers follow these measures, and if they keep
their birds outdoors that they need to have a clear plan for
housing them indoors, where practicable, or isolating them from
wild birds in an outbreak.
- Members of the public should avoid handling dead or sick birds
and should keep children away from dead birds. If the
following are found in the same place:
-
- one or more dead swans,
- more than three dead birds of the same species or
- more than five dead birds of different species
contact the DEFRA helpline – 08459 335577. The
helpline is available between 6.00am and 10.00pm, Monday to
Sunday. Advice is available on the
DEFRA
website. People should always wear gloves if possible and wash
their hands thoroughly if they have handled wild birds.
- The risk to those travelling to countries where avian flu is
prevalent is also low. There are no travel restrictions for
persons travelling to affected countries. But travellers
should take the sensible hygiene precautions, ie good personal
hygiene with frequent hand washing when in contact with farm
animals and / or wildfowl, removing and washing contaminated
clothing and disinfecting contaminated surfaces.
- None of this, however, should stop people enjoying feeding the
ducks in the park or cancelling visits to local countryside or the
continent.
- The Food Standards Agency considers that avian flu does not
pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. If you wish to eat
poultry and eggs you should continue to do so, following the normal
precautions of cooking thoroughly, ie until there are no red juices
or in the case of eggs, cooking until the white is hard. This
advice applies to cooking chickens generally.
The City of London response
The City of London is supporting the work of DEFRA, which will
assess each report of dead birds to determine the response
required. The City of London will support their response.
Where DEFRA believe further investigation is required they will
arrange for the bird carcasses to be collected. Where they
determine that no further action is required it will be the land
owner’s responsibility to dispose of the carcass.
The City is continually monitoring the situation, particularly
in its parks and gardens such as Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath.
Furthermore, the City is also attending various local, pan-London,
and national briefings and events on flu. The City will
forward any reports of unusual bird deaths to DEFRA.
What is a human influenza pandemic?
Influenza pandemics are caused by new viruses that have adapted
into a form transferable to humans. There is a risk that the H5N1
strain of avian flu currently in circulation could have the
potential for this adaptation, but no cases are evident
presently. It is for this reason that there has been so much
attention lately surrounding bird flu. Humans would have no
immunity to this new virus and a vaccine cannot be developed until
the new form of the virus actually emerges. Consequently, the
avian virus mutating into a form in which it is transferable from
human to human would have serious implications.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) few countries
have the necessary procedures in place for an influenza pandemic
and has urged all countries to develop national preparedness
plans. In March 2005 the UK Government issued the first
version of the National Influenza Contingency Plan to serve exactly
this purpose. Many organisations, across all sectors, are now
grappling with the challenge of developing their own Influenza
Contingency Plan. The Government, WHO and the NHS among
others have all issued guidance for planning assumptions based on
estimated fatality rates and percentage of the population
contracting influenza.
WHO has a system in place to monitor potential outbreaks across
the globe. Early warnings of potential outbreaks are very
important. If the response is quick enough it may be possible
to contain the outbreak and prevent it from becoming a
pandemic. However, given the infectious nature of influenza
this is a difficult task. The faster the identification of a
human virus the quicker a vaccine can be developed. That is not to
say that the vaccine will be available promptly. It could
take four - six months to develop a vaccine in sufficient
quantities to respond effectively to a pandemic. Therefore, it is
unlikely that a vaccine will be available for the first wave of a
pandemic (and there could be two or more waves occurring several
months apart) which is expected to last somewhere between 12 and 20
weeks.
All of the population is potentially at risk of catching flu
during an influenza pandemic. Certain groups or age groups may be
at greater risk than others. It is not known for certain who they
will be until the virus circulates.
An influenza pandemic will place a considerable amount of
pressure on the health and social services due to the increased
number of patients with influenza requiring treatment both in the
community and in hospital. Each pandemic is different and the
actual impact on business cannot be predicted. Absences from
work will depend largely on the age group most affected by the
virus. In addition to absence due to illness, some workers
may need time off to care for family members or may have
difficultly getting to work through travel restrictions.
It is possible, depending on the severity of the influenza
outbreak, that restrictive measures may be put in place which would
have serious consequences for the operation of society. The UK
National Plan refers to these measures collectively as ‘social
distancing’.
The City of London response
The City of London has had business continuity plans in place
for a number of years. These arrangements are being expanded to
cater for the particular requirements of an influenza
pandemic. The City is also participating in the multi-agency
planning team established by the City & Hackney Primary Care
Trust.
The City is continually monitoring the situation and the City’s
response will reflect the needs of the community.
If an influenza pandemic were to occur the City of London would
place information regularly on its website.
Further information
If you have any queries or wish to discuss development of your
Influenza plans please contact the Security & Contingency
Planning Group:
Tel 020 7456 9810
Email