2004/615/EC: Commission Decision of 23 July 2004 amending Decision 2004/111/EC on the implementation of surveys for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds in the Member States to be carried out during 2004 (notified under document number C(2004) 2459)(Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2004-07-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU financing, animal disease, bird, disease prevention, poultry, research

27.8.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 278/59

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 23 July 2004

amending Decision 2004/111/EC on the implementation of surveys for avian influenza in poultry
and wild birds in the Member States to be carried out during 2004

(notified under document number C(2004) 2459)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2004/615/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (1), and in particular
Article 20 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Commission Decision 2004/111/EC of 29 January 2004
on the implementation of surveys for avian influenza in
poultry and wild birds in Member States, to be carried
out during 2004 (2), provides that Member States are to
submit
those
surveys by 15 March 2004.

the implementation of

their plans for

Decision 2004/111/EC also provides for the Community
to make a financial contribution at a rate of 50 % of the
costs
sampling and
analysing of samples, up to a maximum of EUR 600 000.

incurred in Member States

for

Certain Member States, and in particular new Member
States, have been unable to meet the deadline of 15
March 2004. Experience has shown that the implemen-

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

the first

tation for
time of such surveys can pose
logistical obstacles due to the diversity of the poultry
sector and the structures that have to be established for
the wild bird surveys.

Due to the increased interest of Member States in early
detection of
low pathogenic avian influenza in their
poultry and wild bird populations, the amounts applied
for by the Member States under Commission Decision
2004/111/EC exceed EUR 600 000.

In view of the need to gain more knowledge concerning
avian influenza which is posing
risks
throughout
is appropriate to enhance
the world,
Member States surveillance activities by increasing the
Community’s financial participation from EUR 600 000
to a total amount of EUR 1 000 000, and extending
the deadline from 15 March 2004 to 15 June 2004.

increasing

it

Guidelines for the design of avian influenza surveillance
programmes have been reviewed and it is appropriate to
provide for Member States to submit programmes which
follow the established guidelines.

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

opinion

the

of

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Directive
the Council

the European Parliament and of

2003/99/EC of
(OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 31).

(2) OJ L 32, 5.2.2004, p. 20.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

L 278/60

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

27.8.2004

Article 1

3. The Annex to this Decision is added as an Annex.

Decision 2004/111/EC is amended as follows:

1. Article 1 is replaced by the following:

‘Member States shall submit for approval to the Commission
by 15 June 2004 plans for the implementation of surveys
for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds in accordance
with the requirements and guidelines laid down in the
Annex.’

2. In Article 2,

‘EUR 1 000 000’.

the figure ‘EUR 600 000’

is

replaced by

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 23 July 2004.

For the Commission

David BYRNE
Member of the Commission

27.8.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 278/61

ANNEX

‘ANNEX

Programmes for surveillance for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds to be carried out in the Member
States in 2004

OBJECTIVES:

1. To detect the prevalence of infections with avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 in different species of poultry by

repeating the screening exercise of 2002/2003 in a modified, more targeted manner.

2. To further contribute to a cost-benefit study in relation to eradication of all H5 and H7 subtypes from poultry

envisaged by the change in definition of avian influenza.

3. To continue surveillance for avian influenza on a voluntary basis in wild birds, in particular by those Member States
which have already good cooperation with ornithological organisations or other bodies. The outcome of such
surveillance should further provide valuable information for an early warning system of strains that may be introduced
into poultry flocks from wild birds.

4. To contribute to the knowledge on the threats of avian influenza to animal health from wildlife.

5. To foster the connection and integration of human and veterinary networks for influenza surveillance.

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR SURVEYS IN POULTRY

— Sampling shall cover the winter period as in many countries a large slaughter of poultry (in particular turkeys

and geese) takes place around Christmas.

— 15 March 2005 shall be the date for the submission of the final survey results.

— Testing of samples shall be carried out at national laboratories for avian influenza (NL) in Member States or by

other laboratories authorised by the competent authorities and under the control of the NL.

— All results (both serological and virological) shall be sent to the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for
collation. A good flow of information must be ensured. The CRL shall provide technical support and keep an
enlarged stock of diagnostic reagents.

— All AI virus isolates shall be submitted to the CRL. Viruses of H5/H7 subtype shall be subjected to the standard

characterisation tests (nucleotide sequencing/IVPI) according to Council Directive 92/40/EEC.

— All positive findings shall be retrospectively investigated at the holding and the conclusions of this investigation

shall be reported to the Commission and the CRL.

— Specific protocols to accompany the sending of material to the CRL and reporting tables for collection of survey
data shall be provided by the CRL. In those tables the laboratory testing methods used shall be indicated.

— Blood samples for serological examination shall be collected from all species of poultry, from at least five to 10
birds (except ducks and geese) per holding, and from the different sheds, if more than one shed is present on a
holding.

L 278/62

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

27.8.2004

— Sampling shall be stratified throughout the whole Member State, so that samples can be considered as repre-

sentative for the whole Member State, taking into account:

(a)

the number of holdings to be sampled. This number shall be defined so as to ensure the identification of at
least one infected holding if the prevalence of infected holdings is at least 5 %, with a 95 % confidence
interval (see table 1); and

(b) the number of birds sampled from each holding shall be defined so as to ensure 95 % probability of

identifying at least one positive bird if the prevalence of sero-positive birds is ≥ 30 %.

— The sampling design shall also consider:

(a)

the types of production and their specific risks, such as free range, outdoor keeping, multi age layers, use of
surface water, a relatively longer life span, the presence of more than one species on the holding, etc.;

(b) the number of turkey holdings to be sampled, which shall be defined to ensure the identification of at least
one infected holding if the prevalence of infected holdings is at least 5 %, with a 99 % confidence interval;

(c) where holdings producing ratites and quails are present in a Member State they shall be included in the

programme;

(d) the time period; where appropriate, sampling shall be adapted to identified periods, during which the

presence of other poultry hosts on a holding might pose a greater risk for disease introduction;

(e) Member States that must carry out sampling for Newcastle disease to maintain their status as Newcastle
disease non-vaccinating countries (Decision 94/327/EC) may utilise these samples from breeding flocks for
the surveillance of H5/H7 antibodies.

Number of holdings to be sampled of each poultry category (except turkey holdings)

TABLE 1

Number of holdings per poultry category
(except turkey holdings)

Number of holdings to be sampled

Up to 34

35-50

51-80

81-250

> 250

All

35

42

53

60

TABLE 2

Number of turkey holdings to be sampled

Number of turkey holdings

Number of holdings to be sampled

Up to 46

47-60

61-100

101-350

> 350

All

47

59

80

90

27.8.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 278/63

B.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR DETECTION OF INFECTIONS WITH H5/H7 SUBTYPES OF AVIAN INFLUENZA IN
DUCKS AND GEESE
— Blood samples for serological testing shall be taken preferably from birds which are kept outside in fields.

— From each selected holding 40-50 blood samples shall be taken for serological testing.

C.

SURVEY FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA IN WILD BIRDS

C.1. Survey design and implementation

— Liaisons with bird conservation/watching institutions and ringing stations are necessary. Sampling will probably
be best carried out by staff from these groups/stations. Cooperation with hunters for obtaining samples from
birds that are hunted may also be possible.

— Experience with the previous surveys has shown that the virus isolation rate was extremely low, therefore

sampling should focus on the birds migrating south during autumn and early winter.

C.2. Sampling procedures

— Cloacal swabs for virological examination should be taken. In addition to “first year” birds in the autumn, host
species with high susceptibility and increased contact with poultry (such as mallard ducks) may offer the highest
chance of success.

— The distribution between the different species should ideally be as follows:

70 % waterfowl

20 % shorebirds

10 % other free-living birds.

— Swabs containing faeces, or carefully collected fresh faeces shall be taken from wild birds trapped, hunted and

found freshly dead.

— Pooling of up to five samples from the same species is possible.

— Specific care has to be taken for the storage and transport of samples. If rapid transport within 48 hours to the
laboratory (in transport medium at 4 °Celsius) is not guaranteed, samples shall be stored and then transported in
dry ice at – 70 °Celsius.

D.

LABORATORY TESTING

Laboratory tests should be carried out pursuant to the guideline procedures established in Annex III to Council
Directive 92/40/EEC (including examination of sera from ducks and geese by HI). However, if laboratory tests not
laid down in the Directive 92/40/EEC, nor described in the OIE Terrestrial Manual, are envisaged, Member States
shall provide the necessary validation data to the CRL, in parallel to submitting their programme to the Commission
for approval. All positive serological findings shall be confirmed by the National laboratories for avian influenza by
an haemagglutination-inhibition test, using designated strains supplied by the Community Reference Laboratory:

H5 (a) Initial test using Duck/Denmark/64650/03 (H5N7)

(b) Test all positives with Ostrich/Denmark/72420/96 (H5N2) to eliminate N9 cross reactive antibody.

H7 (a) Initial test using Turkey/England/647/77 (H7N7)

(b) Test all positives with African Starling/983/79 (H7N1) to eliminate N7 cross reactive antibody.’