| Prof Hawley added however that global food scarcity | | | | to cope with an epidemic. Unlike the Spanish flu of |
| and climate change were also factors that could | | | | 1918 that killed 50 million people, Prof Hawley felt that |
| trigger global chaos, saying the Government had to | | | | the West were in a stronger position to with-stand a |
| make difficult resource decisions and continually | | | | flu outbreak - even avian flu - due to the fact we |
| re-prioritise in a changing, unstable, global environment. | | | | are now in an antibiotic era with mass medication. |
| Prof Hawley now works at the University of | | | | The testing of live birds at veterinary laboratories |
| Glamorgan as a Professor of Disaster Studies. He said | | | | may have been reduced, but the government still has |
| the threat that avian flu could cross over into | | | | surveillance and testing on dead birds. The Assembly |
| humans was one that was absolutely still on the | | | | Government said it felt testing for avian flu on live |
| radar, adding that he was glad he was not a politician | | | | birds was felt to have limited value. A spokesman |
| having to make such hard decisions on the resources | | | | from the Assembly Government said: "The changes |
| around disaster management. | | | | made in respect of wild birds for avian influenza will |
| Veterinary laboratories are crucial in monitoring the | | | | give the taxpayer the best value for money whilst |
| development of infections in animals that could pose | | | | we continue to monitor the disease." The UK has |
| a threat to human life too. Prof Hawley said he | | | | been officially free of avian influenza since November |
| believed an avian epidemic in humans was 'likely' but | | | | 2008. |
| added that modern health technology should allow us | | | | |