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Developments up to 2006 in the worldwide epidemiological situation of avian influenza, new facts acquired about the A(H5N1) virus and lessons learned from the national exercise "Flu pandemic 06" prompted the French Prime Minister to ask the French Secretary General for National Defence (SGDN) to update the "Flu Pandemic" control and prevention plan (dating back to 2005).

The main aims of this plan are to prepare the country for the possible emergence of a widespread flu pandemic and to limit the economic and social consequences. This plan is regularly updated, particularly as the situation develops. Given that faeces from contaminated or carrier animals may contaminate water, Afsset and Afssa (French Food Safety Agency) received a solicited request on 31 October 2005 from the Interministerial Representative for the Prevention of Avian Influenza (DILGA) to assess the human risks which may be associated with the presence of the avian influenza virus in water for human consumption and in diverse aqueous effluents in the event of an epizootic or human pandemic.

The expertise (conducted by an emergency ad hoc group formed by Afsset) produced a scientific report and two opinions, one concerning human risks associated with bathing water and the other concerning the general or occupational population in contact with wastewater or surface water that may be contaminated.




The request focuses on three main scopes of action of Afsset, the assessment of human risks:

 associated with wastewater;
 associated with bathing and other water sports;
 during occupational contact with surface water;

and one of Afssa’s fields of competence: the assessment of human risks associated with drinking water.
One of the main issues of this solicited request concerns the exposure and risks associated with occupational practice or activity through which humans come into contact with surface and/or wastewater that may be contaminated.

Working method:

The first phase involving metrological aspects and the risk associated with drinking water was entrusted to a joint Afsset/Afssa group of experts. An Afssa opinion was published in March 2006. The main conclusion is that the contamination risk for the general population through drinking water would be nil to negligible in the event of an epizootic or pandemic. 

In the absence of a Committee of Specialized Experts (CSE) in the field of water at Afsset and given the health emergency in this area, the assessment of risks for the general and occupational population associated with the presence of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in various types of water and the assessment of risks for the general population in contact with surface water have been entrusted to an ad hoc group of experts. This group included comprising members of existing CSEs already at the Agency and was expanded to include external figures; it was , chaired by Mrs Michèle Legeas from the French National School of Public Health. This group was set up in January 2006. These studies will feature in a report published in early 2007.




After analysing the solicited request, the experts have decided to:

 restrict the scope of the request to highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses only, and more specifically the sub-type H5N1 that is currently circulating;
 take account of surface water that is potentially contaminated by the H5N1 virus and the origins of this contamination;
 conduct an expert assessment of all the data published concerning: human cases identified worldwide; different animal species that may be infected by the H5N1 virus currently in circulation; physiopathological and environmental behaviour of the H5N1 virus or, if there is insufficient data, of other sub-types of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus excretion sources and means of dissemination in environments; and exposure pathways to humans and contamination methods of the H5N1 virus.
 Conduct a qualitative assessment of the probability of general and occupational population exposure, given the measures already under way or planned by the governmental “Flu Pandemic” control and prevention plan (6 January 2006 version).

An initial opinion was issued in June 2006 answering the questions about risks associated with bathing water that may be contaminated.

A second opinion on exposure and risk for workers and the general population in contact with wastewater or surface water that may be contaminated, and a report were published in early 2007.

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