WRITTEN QUESTION E-1651/03 by Jules Maaten (ELDR) to the Commission. WHO warning about H7N7 A virus influenza in the Netherlands.
Date: 2003-05-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Netherlands, World Health Organisation, animal disease, disease prevention, epidemic, health policy, health risk, public health, zoonosis

15.1.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 11 E/207

(2004/C 11 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1651/03

by Jules Maaten (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 May 2003)

Subject: WHO warning about H7N7 A virus influenza in the Netherlands

1.
Did the Commission catch the article by Alexander S. Kekulé, which appeared in the 30 April 2003
edition of ‘Der Tagesspiegel’, entitled ‘Of Chickens and Men. Why fowl viruses like the one in the
Netherlands are so dangerous’?

2.
That article stated that the H7N7 A virus avian influenza is very dangerous to humans. The claim is
backed up by the fact that a Dutch veterinarian died from the virus. The article also stated that the human
immune system is powerless to combat the mutant H7N7 A virus influenza. Does the Commission share
that view?

Is the Commission aware that, on 24 April 2003, the WHO published a ‘Disease Outbreak Report’
3.
on the situation in the Netherlands? That report noted that, in Hong Kong in 1997, there was an outbreak
of a similar kind of virus, H5N1, which infected 18 people, six of whom died. In February 2003, there was
another outbreak in Hong Kong which resulted in another death. The WHO recommends that proper
checks should be carried out in the Netherlands on humans and animals (especially chickens, turkeys and
pigs). Does the European Commission take the view that countries where fowl pest has broken out have
taken adequate measures to prevent a situation like the one in Hong Kong from occurring?

4. What further measures will the European Commission take in order to keep the situation in Europe
under control? Does the European Commission have adequate instruments with which to take effective
action in the event of a catastrophe?

(2004/C 11 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1657/03

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(19 May 2003)

Subject: Fowl pest

An epidemic of fowl pest has broken out in Belgium and the Netherlands, and hundreds of thousands of
fowls have consequently had to be slaughtered. A Dutch vet has died, reportedly because he was infected
by the same virus. The EU has ordered a halt to exports of fowls and eggs from the two countries, but this
will not protect European citizens against the risks posed by any imports pre-dating the ban. The Belgian
health authorities had given an assurance that the virus, highly contagious to poultry, was not contagious
to humans. One question still unanswered is the possible links between the fowl pest virus and the virus
which causes SARS.

Can the Commission give its verdict on the state of health of European poultry farms in order to

1.
reassure consumers and avoid the kind of panic sparked off by mad cow disease?

2.

Does it agree with the Belgian authorities that the fowl pest virus is not contagious to humans?

3. What measures will it propose to prevent similar epidemics and guarantee the much-vaunted goal of
food safety at the practical level?

Does it not think that it would be useful and advisable to coordinate action by national governments

4.
to combat the scourge?

5.

Can it express an opinion on the link between the fowl pest virus and the SARS virus?