ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2011-12-22 12:07:22
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (79): China (HK) H5N1, poultry, conf.
Archive Number: 20111222.3658

AVIAN INFLUENZA (79): CHINA (HONG KONG) H5N1, POULTRY, CONFIRMED
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[1]
Date: Wed 21 Dec 2011
Source: Hong Kong Government News [edited]
http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/health/html/2011/12/20111221_015612.shtml

Bird flu prompts market chicken cull
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More than 17 000 chickens will be culled at the Cheung Sha Wan
Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market today [21 Dec 2011] after a chicken
carcass there tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The
market will be closed until 12 Jan 2012.

The Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation declared the
market an infected place after Secretary for Food and Health Dr York
Chow raised the response level for bird flu to "serious" from "alert"
after the discovery of the virus in the carcass yesterday.

Local farms are stopped from sending chickens to the market for 21
days. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation department will step
up farm inspections and collect more samples for tests.

The government is tracing the source of the carcass and it is not
known whether the chicken was from a local farm or imported.

All 30 chicken farms were inspected yesterday. No abnormality was
detected. Live poultry imports including day-old chicks are suspended
for 21 days. Mainland authorities say no abnormality has been found at
registered live poultry farms.

"It is unfortunate that an avian influenza case is detected before the
winter solstice, necessitating a halt to the supply of live chickens.
I understand that it will cause inconvenience to the public, and the
poultry trade will also encounter losses," Dr Chow said. "However, to
safeguard public health, we need to adopt decisive and effective
measures to prevent and control the spread of the virus."

--
Communicated by:
Dr Irene Lai, MD
International SOS (Australasia) Pty Ltd
<irene.lai@internationalsos.com>

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[2]
Date: Wed 21 Dec 2011
Source: Press release, The Government of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region - Centre for Health Protection [edited]
http://www.chp.gov.hk/en/content/599/24252.html

CHP enhances surveillance on human influenza A(H5N1) infection
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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health
(DH) has enhanced its surveillance on human influenza A (H5N1)
infection after the government has raised the response level for avian
influenza from "Alert" to "Serious" as a chicken carcass sample taken
from the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market (Wholesale
Poultry Market) was tested positive of the highly pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza virus.

A telephone hotline has been set up to answer public enquiries today
[21 Dec 2011] from 9am to 6pm.

CHP is carrying out medical surveillance of poultry wholesalers and
workers in the Wholesale Poultry Market as well as local chicken
farmers to follow up on their health condition.

At the moment, there is no human case of avian influenza infection in
Hong Kong. DH and the Hospital Authority (HA) have enhanced the work
on testing of human infection of avian influenza. Particular attention
will be paid to those who visited or worked in the Cheung Sha Wan
Wholesale Market.

A spokesman for the CHP has called on members of the public to seek
medical treatment immediately if they develop symptoms of high fever
or influenza-like illness. Public and private hospitals as well as
clinics should report to CHP immediately when there is any suspected
case of avian influenza.

The CHP has written to all medical practitioners alerting them of the
latest development and has liaised closely with HA to step up
surveillance. The department has also sent letters to institutions,
elderly homes and schools to remind them to be vigilant against avian
influenza.

The spokesman reminded the public to remain vigilant against avian
influenza infection and to observe the following measures:

- Avoid direct contact with poultry and birds or their droppings; if
contact is made, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water;
- Cook poultry and eggs thoroughly before eating;
- Wash hands frequently;
- Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the [mucus]
with tissue and put it into a covered dustbin;
- Avoid crowded places and contact with sick people with fever;
- Wear a mask when you have respiratory symptoms or need to take care
of patients with fever;
- When you have fever and influenza-like illnesses during a trip or
when coming back to Hong Kong, consult doctors promptly and reveal
your travel history.

For further information on avian influenza, please visit the CHP
website: http://www.chp.gov.hk.

--
Communicated by:
Dr Irene Lai, MD
International SOS (Australasia) Pty Ltd
<irene.lai@internationalsos.com>

[The Hong Kong Training Portal on Infection Control and Infectious
Disease maintains a web-page dedicated to avian influenza (AI) at
http://icidportal.ha.org.hk/sites/en/webpages/avian%20influenza.aspx

The following issues are among those addressed by the Hospital
Authority (HA) in documents available on line:
- HA AI contingency plan
- HA AI infection control plan
- HA fact sheet on avian influenza
- HA fact sheet on antiviral therapy against influenza
- HA guideline on management approach of ILI and CAP suspected of
avian influenza
- Guideline on Transport of Clinical Specimens and Infectious
Substances
- HA Operational Plan on Laboratory Testing for Human Influenza A
(H5N1) Infection
- Supplementary Guideline on Handling of Clinical Specimens in the
Laboratory.

The scheme developed and applied by the HK authorities in preventing
spread of H5N1, is exemplary. - Mod.AS

The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for Hong Kong is available at:
http://healthmap.org/r/1s3- - CopyEd.EJP]

See Also