Europe Bans Pet Birds From Asia in Flu Scare

BRUSSELS, Belgium, January 29, 2004 (ENS) - The European Union has suspended imports of pet birds to exclude any possible risk for the avian influenza virus sweeping across Asia. The banned birds are exotic tropical species such as parrots, cockatoos, finches, budgerigars, hawks and falcons.

The Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health, representing the 15 EU member states, has agreed to a proposal from EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne to keep the birds out of Europe for the present.

Effective immediately, imports have been suspended from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, China including Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, all countries where the avian flu strain H5N1 has been reported during the past month.

Pet budgerigars like these in an Estonian home will not be permitted to enter Europe due to the risk that they might carry avian influenza. Estonia becomes an EU member state on May 1. (Photo courtesy Andres Valdre)

Most of the attention has been focused on the bird flu in poultry flocks that has caused a massive culling of millions of birds across Southeast Asia this month. But free living birds can carry influenza viruses without becoming ill due to a natural resistance, the committee explained.

But sometimes wild birds do become ill and die of avian influenza. On Monday the Hong Kong Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation reported to international health authorities that a single peregrine falcon found dead in a residential area had tested positive for the avian flu virus H5N1.

The falcon was found near a residential development at Gold Coast, New Territories on January 19. The Hong Kong status of the peregrine falcon is scarce resident and winter visitor. It is estimated that only 10 to 50 are present in Hong Kong at one time.

It is known that wild waterfowl are a natural reservoir for these avian influenza viruses and can be responsible for the primary introduction of infection into domestic poultry.

Europe is taking no chances with Southeast Asian poultry either. On January 23, the Commission suspended imports from Thailand of fresh meat of poultry, wild and farmed feathered game, poultry meat preparations and poultry meat products and meat preparations, and of raw material for pet food production and of eggs for human consumption.

These products are not allowed to be imported from any of the other countries where birds have been infected with avian flu.

The import of birds other than poultry still is allowed from all member countries of the World Organization for Animal Health subject to animal health guarantees provided by the country of origin and strict 30 day post-import quarantine in the EU member states.

To prevent the possible introduction of poultry diseases into EU poultry flocks, no bird can leave quarantine without a mandatory lab test for avian influenza H5N1.