********************************

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department closed 92 poultry stalls in seven markets today (Friday) in another operation to prevent the spread of H5N1 avian flu.

About 280 FEHD staff were mobilised in the closure operation, which started at 2.30 pm.

Details of today's slaughtering action are summarised below :

Poultry Staff Poultry Time

Markets stalls deployed slaughtered completed¡@

------- ------ --------- ----------- ------

Pei Ho Street 16 30 5,836 6.25 pm

(Sham Shui Po)

San Hui 11 65 5,354 5 pm

(Tuen Mun)

Ngau Tau Kok 12 35 4,382 6.15 pm

(Kwun Tong)

Tai Shing Street 27 50 4,273 5.30 pm

(Wong Tai Sin)

Po On Road 13 30 2,888 4.30 pm

(Sham Shui Po)

Yan Oi 4 18 1,373 4.30 pm

(Tuen Mun)

Bowrington Road 9 53 703 4.30 pm

(Wan Chai)

Total: 92 281 24,809

After the slaughtering action, stall-holders cleaned up their own stalls before FEHD contractors used high pressure hot water jet to disinfect the sites.

The whole operation is expected to finish before 10 pm.

A spokesman for the FEHD again thanked stall-holders for their support and co-operation.

"Closure of poultry stalls in 64 markets will commence at 8 am tomorrow," the spokesman added.

End/Friday, May 18, 2001

NNNN