Ireland is being vigilant in its measures to guard against avian flu, writes Seán MacConnell, Agriculture Correspondent
Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. The disease occurs worldwide.
While all birds are thought to be susceptible to infection with avian influenza viruses, many wild bird species carry these viruses with no apparent signs of harm.
The outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza that began in southeast Asia in mid-2003 and which have now spread to parts of Europe, are the largest and most severe on record. To date, nine Asian countries have reported outbreaks - South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos , Indonesia, China and Malaysia.
In late July 2005, the virus spread beyond its original focus in Asia to affect poultry and wild birds in the Russian Federation and adjacent parts of Kazakhstan. Almost simultaneously, Mongolia reported detection of the virus in wild birds.
In October 2005, the virus was reported in Turkey, Romania, and Croatia. In early December 2005, Ukraine reported its first outbreak in domestic birds. Most of these newer outbreaks were detected and reported quickly.
According to the World Health Organisation, of all influenza viruses that circulate in birds, the H5N1 virus is of greatest concern for human health for two main reasons.
First, the H5N1 virus has caused by far the greatest number of human cases of very severe disease and the greatest number of deaths, just over 160 worldwide.
A second implication for human health, of far greater concern, is the risk that the H5N1 virus - if given enough opportunities - will develop the characteristics it needs to start another influenza pandemic .
More than half of the laboratory-confirmed cases in humans have been fatal. H5N1 avian influenza in humans is still a rare disease, but a severe one that must be closely watched and studied, particularly because of the potential of this virus to evolve in ways that could start a pandemic, should it mutate and spread from human to human.
In 2005, Ireland began to plan for an outbreak of the disease which was expected to arrive here in migratory wildfowl.
To date, the disease has not been detected here but stringent controls are in place to protect the sector which is worth €150 million annually.
All 8,000 bird flocks in the State have been registered and tight bio-security measures implemented at the 1,000 commercial poultry farms.
Privately, most officials believe that the disease will arrive here carried by migratory birds but it can be prevented from entering commercial flocks. Stockpiles of medicines and protective clothing are in place for those who may have to deal with an outbreak.
The Government is also anxious the outbreak in Britain should not cause a consumer scare and has repeated the Food Safety Authority advice that properly cooked poultry, at over 70 degrees, poses no risk to human health.
The surveillance system put in place to report dead birds continues to operate. That number is 1890-252283.