Europe alarmed about bird flu

European countries are accelerating measures to fight the spread of avian influenza, soon after the H5N1 virus is found in Turkey and Romania. The EU Council has now banned poultry imports from these two countries.

European countries are promoting the stockpiling of anti-influenza drugs

Several European countries have begun to stock up on anti-influenza drugs, while others are making a lot of efforts to prevent the spread of flu. Scientists are concerned that if a person is infected with the common flu at the same time as bird flu, the bird flu virus will be able to mutate, becoming spread from person to person.

* In Romania

Health authorities in Romania - an EU candidate - reportedly prepared thousands of doses of flu medicine. More than 15,000 people in the Danube basin, where the first cases of influenza-infected poultry were discovered, were vaccinated. Thousands of poultry have been destroyed in the area infected with the virus.

* In the UK

The British government has stockpiled 14.6 million doses of Tamiflu. Until now, this drug is still considered to be the most effective for treating bird flu. Last July, thousands of chickens were destroyed after a pandemic in Newcastle, but the pandemic was not related to bird flu.

* In the Netherlands

The Dutch government last month decided to ban the release of birds and poultry. The ban comes after a report from the Russian government that bird flu is spreading to Western Europe due to the spread of migratory birds.

The Netherlands, one of the world's largest meat exporters, had to destroy about a quarter of its poultry two years ago after an avian flu outbreak.

* In Bulgaria

Bulgaria, another EU candidate, has tightened border control with neighboring Turkey and Romania in an effort to prevent the spread of the flu. Bulgarian authorities have said that so far no virus has been found on dead migratory birds.

* In France

French ministers said that since August, they have ordered about 200 million masks and a large amount of anti-influenza medicine for all French people. Health checks at airports are also promoted.

* In Germany

The country has also tightened controls on border areas and airports to prevent the spread of H5N1 via illegal animal imports. Earlier this year, German ministers followed the example of the Netherlands issuing a ban on the release of poultry.

* In Russia

Russia destroyed more than 100,000 poultry last July after bird flu was found in Novosibirsk, Siberia. A bird killed by H5N1 infection has also been found in Siberia. This has created fears that migratory birds may carry viruses from Southeast Asia and Russia to the Balkans and Europe.

H.HONG (according to BBC)