Published Date: 2001-05-19 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH> Avian influenza, H5N1 - China (Hong Kong) (04)
Archive Number: 20010519.0978
AVIAN INFLUENZA, H5N1 - CHINA (HONG KONG) (04)
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See Also
Avian influenza - China (Hong Kong) 20010420.0778Avian influenza, H5N1 - China (Hong Kong) (02) 20010517.0962
Avian influenza, H5N1 - China (Hong Kong) (03) 20010518.0973
Date: Sat 19 May 2001 07:57:39 -0400
From: George A. Robertson <grobertson@rcn.com>
Source: smh,com.au, Sat 19 May 2001 [edited
<http://www.smh.com.au/news/0105/19/world/world6.html>
All chickens in the Hong Kong SAR to be slaughtered
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HONG KONG: About 2 million chickens and other poultry will be slaughtered by
the territory and imports halted from mainland China to stop the spread of a
bird flu outbreak
It is the second time in less than 4 years that Hong Kong has killed all its
poultry. In 1997 the Government slaughtered 1.4 million birds when a
different avian flu virus killed 6 people and affected a dozen others.
The Secretary for the Environment and Food, Ms Lily Yam, said all poultry in
local food markets would be killed by tomorrow and at farms throughout the
territory within 2 weeks. Ms Yam also said the Government had asked mainland
China to halt exports of live birds to the territory. Hong Kong consumes
around 100 000 fresh chickens a day, of which more than 70 per cent come
from mainland China. Ms Yam stressed the virus would not affect humans.
The Government had already slaughtered about 6600 chickens on Wednesday
after discovering the strain had killed a large number of birds at 3
markets, but it has since discovered more chickens dying of the [viral
infection. The source of the strain has not been traced. In total 10
markets have been found to be infected with the virus.
The new strain derives from a virus that infected geese in China's Guangdong
province in 1996, virologists said. Scientists call southern China an
"epicentre" of [influenza} viruses because farmers there rarely segregate
different types of poultry, creating a perfect breeding ground for new flu
strains.
Unlike ducks and geese, which are centrally slaughtered in Hong Kong,
chickens are sold live in markets and are killed and plucked in front of
customers. The latest outbreak brings that practice into question, Ms Yam
said. "Scientifically and logically, it would of course be best to
centralise the slaughtering of chickens," she said. "But would the public
accept that?"
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ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org)
[The central slaughtering of chickens might facilitate the monitoring and
control of outbreaks, but it would not have much effect on the evolution of
new strains of avian influenza virus in the poultry rearing areas of South
China and the Hong Kong SAR. - Mod.CP
..................cp/es
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