REPORTS of avian flu being transmitted from human to human in south-east Asia (2 October, p 10) have increased concerns about the H5N1 strain. 鈥淭here are certain warnings that really should be acted on,鈥� as the leader article in that issue of 快猫短视频 noted.
Earlier in the year, Debora MacKenzie warned that Asian countries vaccinating their chicken population against bird flu would be carrying out an uncontrolled experiment in accelerated viral evolution that could lead to a human pandemic (27 March, p 6). Ben Bradshaw, the minister for nature conservation and fisheries, is also concerned. The Department of Health had advised his officials that a new flu strain could emerge in poultry as a result of mass vaccination.
The greatest risk of spreading the virus around the world comes from the movement of live birds and anything contaminated with bird faeces. The European Union has banned imports of all birds and poultry products from China and much of south-east Asia. However, wild bird migrations could spread the disease far and wide.
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It is a great comfort to know that, if avian influenza spreads to the UK, we have the legislation in place to tackle the disease. A contingency plan for dealing with a mass infection among birds was put before the House of Commons on 31 March. It builds on plans originally put in place to deal with foot and mouth disease.
The European Commission has issued a working paper setting out steps governments need to take if avian flu spreads to humans. It has already established a Public Health Preparedness and Response Planning Group to coordinate national and Europe-wide responses. The Commission has also proposed a more substantial European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. One matter for the Commission to deal with is the rapid licensing of vaccines as soon as they become available.
ELIOT MORLEY, the minister for the environment and agri-environment, recently pointed out that people living in the UK can still have a say on the new regulations being drawn up on how to deal with hazardous waste.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) issued a consultation paper for the regulations on 30 July. It included a proposition that producers of hazardous waste should list their premises with the Environment Agency.
So anyone who missed this has until 29 October to make their views known to DEFRA. The regulations come into force in July 2005, but in the meantime the Environment Agency is considering how to make producers aware of their obligations and how to ensure that they comply with them.
Morley was rightly concerned to emphasise that the consultation is not a pointless exercise: 鈥淒EFRA is listening,鈥� he promises.
