We do not expect a major outbreak or that it will become widespread as it did in Asia a few years ago, because the veterinary services in these countries reacted very effectively,

We just haven’t spent enough money,

This means addressing the transmission of the virus where the disease occurs, in poultry, specifically free-range chickens and wetland dwelling ducks, and thus curbing the disease occurrence in the region before it spreads to other...

Particularly in the southeastern part of the Balkans, given that these flyways go down there … It is quite probable in the future and is a major concern for us.

we continue to state that this is an animal disease, an animal health problem, that we want to deal with aggressively in order to prevent a human pandemic.

Knowing the flyways and the bird species that use them, there is a high likelihood that the virus will continue to spread as it has so far,

The virus seems to be circulating quite widely in Nigeria, which is in the same area where European migratory birds winter.

I don’t think there is a contradiction. We agree that the risk of migratory birds posing a risk to central Europe is currently low.

If the situation in Nigeria gets out of control, it will have a devastating impact on the poultry population in the region, it will seriously damage the livelihoods of millions of people and it will...

The international community will finally come up with the funding to fight this disease.

Now that the winter is coming the risk is expanding rather fast into areas of eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa,

It is vital that all instances of multiple bird death are reported to authorities and investigated promptly.

I have the impression that it is quite a highly secure operation, well managed, technically perfect, I think. And from the point of view of costs for the operation, I believe it’s okay,

There’s no reason whatever to believe that this geographic expansion will finish in Kazakhstan.

European poultry is facing a real danger at this point in time.

No country is risk-free, and we are facing a serious international crisis. It is important that local and national authorities within other countries in the region remain vigilant for possible outbreaks.

With the current resources it cannot be contained. With the right resources in the domestic bird population, it should be a matter of a year to get rid of it.

We need to be aware that there’s a real risk for Europe when the birds migrate northwards this spring.

With the current resources ‘¦ it cannot be contained. With the right resources in the domestic bird population, it should be a matter of a year to get rid of it.

You have to face the fact that the virus is in their neighborhood.

Six months ago, we alerted the international community to the risk of bird flu reaching Africa. Now we have to say that there is a risk for Europe in the spring.

Panic is not justified. Avian influenza in Europe continues to be an animal problem confined to wild birds. As long as we can keep the poultry sector protected, there is no danger for humans.

Europe in particular ought to step up in this type of risk management.

It would undertake ‘rumor tracking’ and would be similar to what the World Health Organization has to observe and monitor developments of epidemics 24 hours-a-day.

It is important that local and national authorities within other countries in the region remain vigilant for possible outbreaks of suspected avian influenza in poultry and other birds. It is vital that all instances of...

We can now say that it was definitely the H5N1 virus,

It can be contained in domestic birds. It can be eliminated in domestic birds, but at the current level of money, it cannot be contained.

The core of the problem is the circulation of H5N1 virus is domestic poultry; priority action for solving the problem is therefore at the level of the animal,

On the one hand there’s a certain frustration, but we see the money now flowing, so we’re more optimistic than we were half a year ago.