The plan aims to provide immediate support for the egg industry and to co-ordinate a series of actions internationally, with the ultimate long term goal of ridding the egg industry of this destructive disease.

IEC will provide a central international communications hub on avian influenza, be the link between the global egg industry and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and be responsible for communicating information and best practices to IEC members and the wider egg industry.

First steps are to create the Avian Influenza Task Force and to hold an urgent face to face meeting with the head of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) to push for practical action on promoting 'Compartmentalisation'.

IEC Chairman Cesar de Anda and IEC Director General Julian Madeley are meeting with a top level OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) delegation this week to address egg industry issues over the current avian influenza outbreak in North America.

For the Task Force, the IEC is looking to find world class individuals with technical or specialist skills related to avian influenza, both from inside IEC Membership and from the broader egg industry.

The Task Force will be charged with coming up with practical ways of helping the industry move beyond the threat of avian influenza, and to co-ordinate action across the global egg industry towards eradicating the disease in future.

The Task Force will provide critical information to IEC to support its advocacy work on behalf of the global industry with the OIE.

Individuals who wish to become part of the Avian Influenza Task Force, or to nominate world class individuals with technical or specialist skills related to avian influenza, are asked to contact the IEC Office immediately.

As part of the IEC Avian Influenza Action Plan, both IEC Chairman Cesar de Anda and IEC Director General Julian Madeley will join The International Conference on Avian Influenza and Poultry Trade (ICAIPT) in Baltimore, USA from June 22 – 24, 2015.