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British businesses would be largely unprotected from the financial impact of a flu pandemic, experts have warned.
They said business-interruption policies, which insure companies against disasters such as fire or serious criminal activity, would not cover them in the event of a flu pandemic.
New policies specifically offering influenza cover are often worthless because they are backed by financially shaky insurers with poor credit ratings, are badly worded or have payout limits that are too low to make them worth having, they added.
The warnings come amid mounting concerns about the impact of a pandemic on Britain's economy.
Martin Dockrill, project manager for the Avian Taskforce set up by the insurance broker AON, said: "There is very little chance of a standard policy covering bird flu.
"It is not a named risk in most policies. Even where it is, policies require that a government officer has visited premises and ordered closure."
Dockrill pointed to the experience in Canada during the Sars outbreak, when businesses lost millions of dollars as a result of frightened staff failing to turn up for work.
He added: "Most companies would be better off formulating policies to protect their staff and their businesses rather than relying on the insurance industry."
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