Madis Kallas
Regionaalminister 22.09.2023
nr 10.1-13/893-1
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusministeerium
Riina Sikkut
Terviseminister
Sotsiaalministeerium
Austatud ministrid
Edastame teile Euroopa Komisjoni voliniku Stella Kyriakidese 22.09.2023 kirja nr
Ares(2023)6429361 (highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus).
Lugupidamisega
Marten Kokk
Esinduse asejuht Coreper I küsimustes
Lisa: voliniku kiri 2 lk
Tiiu Noobel +32 2227 4337
[email protected]
Rue Guimard 11/13 1040 Brüssel Tel: +32 2 227 39 10
[email protected] https://eu.mfa.ee/et/
Tiiu Noobel
From: VOLIOTOU Eleftheria <
[email protected]>
Sent: reede, 22. september 2023 13:04
To: VOLIOTOU Eleftheria
Cc: PRAINSACK Ines
Subject: Letter of Commissioner Ms Kyriakides addressed to the EU Ministers for Health and
the EU Ministers for Agriculture and Food on HPAI
Attachments: Transmission Letter_HPAI (1).pdf; Letter from the Cssr to Ministers on HPAI - Sept
2023.pdf
Your Excellency,
Please find enclosed the letter that the European Commissioner for Health and Food safety, Ms Kyriakides would
like to address to the EU Minister for Health and to the EU Minister for Agriculture and Food, concerning HPAI.
We would be grateful if you could transmit this correspondence to the attention of the Ministers at your best
convenience.
Kind regards,
Teri Voliotou
Assistant to Panayiotis Pourgourides and Ines Prainsack
European Commission
Cabinet of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides
BERL 10/363
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 29 86926
[email protected]
1
Ref. Ares(2023)6429361 - 22/09/2023
STELLA KYRIAKIDES Rue de la Loi, 200
MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION B-1049 Brussels – Berl 10/380
HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY
[email protected]
Brussels,
Dear Minister,
I write to you to encourage our continued vigilance on the highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI) virus. While this risk may still be considered seasonal and linked to the autumn/spring
migration seasons of wild birds, we have witnessed for a second year in a row that the virus
continues to be detected during summer in certain parts of the EU as well as in certain wild
birds’ species. Now, with the upcoming autumn migration of wild birds, the risk of
introduction in poultry establishments will increase again for the entire EU.
Since October 2022, we have seen that the HPAI virus has affected more frequently also
animals of mammalian species, in particular wild and kept carnivores, including pets. The
virus is still predominantly adapted to avian receptors, but mutations that are markers of virus
adaptation in mammals have been identified. This situation has raised our concern as regards
the zoonotic aspect of HPAI and, as a result, we called for your vigilance and actions to
prevent, quickly detect and control HPAI outbreaks in poultry. This is important to minimise
the risk of the virus threat for humans.
We have been actively following the disease situation, with activities being coordinated in
relevant EU fora, such as the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the
Health Security Committee and meetings of the Chief Veterinary Officers, in a full-fledged
One-Health, joined-up approach to the issue. Cooperation and coordination between the
animal and public health sectors has been strengthened and it is essential that we continue
working in this horizontal way.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention
and Control (ECDC) and the dedicated European Reference Laboratories regularly assess the
epidemiological situation of HPAI in the EU and worldwide, both for animals and humans. In
their latest report1, recommendations included raising awareness among the general
population, measures to prevent infection among exposed humans and workers, as well as
strengthening surveillance. Timely generation and sharing of genome sequence data from
avian influenza viruses is of utmost importance to promptly detect the emergence of viruses
with mutations associated with increased zoonotic potential.
In this context, I would like to highlight a few additional points of high significance.
1
AI-Report XXV_final.pdf (europa.eu)
First, the scale and geographic spread of HPAI in birds and recent outbreaks in mammals
means that a large number of people can be exposed to infected animals. Awareness raising
among the general population to prevent exposure to sick or dead birds and infected mammals
is required. As concerns animal outbreaks, public health authorities should monitor
occupationally exposed people and test them as soon as they develop symptoms or if the risk
of exposure is considered as high due to known outbreaks. Due consideration should also be
given to possibly asymptomatic patients in occupational settings when developing diagnostic
strategies.
Furthermore, biosecurity and appropriate surveillance remain the cornerstones of disease
prevention in humans and in animals to avoid HPAI in poultry, even when poultry vaccination
is envisaged as a complementary measure in certain situations. Swift eradication of the
outbreaks in poultry and quick containment of the disease, in particular in areas with high
density of poultry establishments, is critical to prevent multiplication and mutations of the
virus. In addition, whenever an increase of the level of risk is noted, farm biosecurity needs
to be strengthened and confinement of poultry needs to be considered and enforced as
appropriate. Similarly, it is imperative that fur animals are also subject to enhanced
surveillance and strengthen biosecurity measures.
The ECDC is currently assessing the pandemic risk as low to moderate for humans. I would
therefore encourage you to increase and adapt surveillance and control of spread also in
mammals – both wild and kept. Our prevention and preparedness work today will be
instrumental in the future.
The Commission has already proposed strengthening the current animal health legislation2 by
expanding HPAI surveillance to mammals. In addition, for the cases when the HPAI virus has
spread to kept mammals, the Animal Health Law3 provides the legal basis for the necessary
emergency measures to prevent and control the spread of the disease effectively.
With this in mind, it is essential that we remain united and coherent in our response to HPAI
infections and work together in minimising the risk for human health.
I am confident that we have all the tools in place to tackle this challenging threat as a genuine
European Health Union, and I count on our steadfast cooperation. Our continuous support will
be a given.
Yours sincerely,
2
Union Surveillance Programme for avian influenza
3
Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible
animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’)
(OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1)
Electronically signed on 22/09/2023 11:23 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121