(ANSA) - The Italian government pushed forward on Friday with measures aimed at tackling a possible bird flu outbreak. In a decree drawn up by Health Minister Francesco Storace, the government set aside 50 million euros to buy 35 million shots of bird flu vaccine.
An effective vaccine against a deadly strain of the virus known as H5N1 has yet to be developed but the government said it was collaborating with three major drug companies.
It said it would contribute 5.5 million euros towards the companies' research into a vaccine against H5N1, which has killed about 60 people in southeast Asia since 2003. Most of the victims caught the virus from infected birds but scientists fear the flu could soon become transmittable between humans, sparking a lethal pandemic.
Italy's accords with the pharmaceutical companies were in line with recommendations by the European Union, which urged governments this week to make pre-purchase deals with drug firms to buy vaccines once they become available.
The Italian government also plans to temporarily increase the number of vets available in public health facilities and boost personnel at NAS, the food and health control division of the Carabiniere police.
Meanwhile, it signed a cooperation accord with South Korea this week amied at combatting a possible outbreak and developing new vaccines.
Speaking at a press conference after his cabinet approved the anti-bird flu decree, Premier Silvio Berlusconi said the measures put Italy ahead of all other countries. "Italy has been praised by the World Health Organisation for the steps it is taking... On this issue, Italy is the first in the world," the centre-right leader claimed.
Storace said on Thursday that "we are focusing our efforts more on preventive vaccines than on medicines." "Italy does not run any concrete risk but it will heed the recommendations of the WHO on the need to keep our guard up. Border controls are working and we have unleashed scores of vets and the NAS," he said.
"Italian chickens are safe and it should be repeated that there is no risk of it spreading from person to person," the minister added. Italy presented its plan yesterday to top WHO officials, who said it was "extremely positive and proactive."
The WHO has urged all countries to be on the alert and step up measures aimed at containing possible outbreaks of bird flu. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned earlier this week that the H5N1 virus, which spread to Russia and Kazakhstan this summer, could spread with the next wave of mass bird migrations.
It stressed that the areas most at risk were southeast Europe, east and north Africa and the Middle East. According to the results of a study presented last weekend at the second European flu conference, up to 16 million people could be affected by a bird flu epidemic in Italy wtih some two million requiring hospitalisation.
As many as 150,000 Italians could die from the virus, the report said. Bird flu, also called avian flu, is a highly contagious viral disease which can be 100% fatal among fowl. All types of birds are susceptible to the virus but outbreaks occur most often in chickens and turkeys.
One of the greatest problems in containing bird flu is that it can be carried by migratory wild birds carrying no symptoms of the disease. At present, the symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to regular flu but pose a greater risk to people with respiratory complications and illnesses.
