To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered the risk factors identified following the Italian outbreak of H7N1 when devising control measures for a similar outbreak in the United Kingdom. [HL5834]

The risk factors and lessons learned from all outbreaks of avian influenza, whether of low or high pathogenicity in birds, have been taken into consideration in the formulation of our contingency plans for, and response to, outbreaks of avian influenza in the United Kingdom. The last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of type H7 (H7N7) in the UK was in June 2008. It is considered highly likely that this highly pathogenic infection derived from a pre-existing low pathogenicity infection (LPAI) of type H7, as was the case in the outbreak of Italy in 1999, which was caused by avian influenza type H7 (H7N1).

Spain has reported this month its first ever outbreak of HPAI in chickens caused by type H7. There remains a constant low risk of the introduction of both HPAI and LPAI into the UK via wild birds, though there is negligible likelihood of introduction of HPAI into the UK through legal trade with Spain.