Bird flu expert group to hold first meeting today
The expert group set up by the Government to oversee preparations for a possible bird flu outbreak is due to meet this morning for the first time.
The 11-member group is chaired by UCD professor Michael Monaghan, who also advised the Government in relation to the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Meanwhile, EU veterinary experts are due to decide today whether to approve a selective programme of poultry vaccinations to help the EU fight the illness.
The deadly H5N1 strain has already been found in migratory birds in seven EU states, while Slovakia is also investigating suspected cases of the virus.
However, it has yet to infect domestic poultry in Europe.
