Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-13

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greece to seek meeting of Black Sea health ministers on bird flu threat, health minister says

[01] Greece to seek meeting of Black Sea health ministers on bird flu threat, health minister says

Kaklamanis told waiting reporters after the meeting that Karamanlis as well as the country's foreign minister Petros Molyviatis had approved his relevant proposal.

He noted that, due to the country's geopolitical position, the Balkan and Black Sea regions comprised gateways for migratory birds (which, like poultry, are carriers and can spread the virus), and consequently "we are interested in developing a joint action plan".

The minister said that the recent meeting in Istanbul, which was attended by Black Sea countries, had discussed the problem, but noted that "some countries are taken measures, but others aren't".

Kaklamanis announced that the contract for the purchase of the medicine that confronts the problem had been signed by Greece earlier on Thursday. He explained that the Perseus emergency action plan contained a a specific chapter on epidemics that outlined steps for confronting such situations and the specialised training of personnel and health personnel.

The minister also explained that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the bird flu outbreak was expected to develop into an epidemic, but not a pandemic. He added, however, that "we cannot know when (the epidemic proportions would be reached) and the severity of the epidemic".

Bassiakos told reporters that all the necessary measnures have been taken in Greece, and that inspections and laboratory testing were continuously taking place, adding that "there has been no trace" of avian flu in Greece.

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