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The following is the transcript of the English portion of a press stand-up briefing given by the Secretary for the Environment and Food, Mrs Lily Yam, (February 5) on the situation regarding the current influenza affecting HK's chicken population:
Well, I just want to give a brief report of the situation regarding the current influenza affecting our chicken population.
Today, the farm that I said yesterday that was under investigation proved to be infected. This is the third farm, all in the Kam Tin area that, has been infected with the virus.
In addition, in inspecting all 144 chicken farms in the territory, the officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) found that in four other farms in the Kam Tin area, the chicken population there is showing some problems.
Since there are now a total of seven farms in the Kam Tin area which are either infected or which are having problems. A decision is made today to close and placed under quarantine all 22 farms in the Kam Tin area.
With effect from today, no chicken from the farms in the Kam Tin area would be supplied to the wholesale and retail markets.
There are two other farms, one in Hung Shui Kiu and the other in Lau Fau Shan which may also be having some problems. And, these two farms have been placed under quarantine.
In all, 24 farms out of 144 have been placed under quarantine.
As far as the retail markets are concerned, yesterday we destroyed the chickens in the Tsuen Wan Market. Today, one market stall in the Tai Shing Street Market; two market stalls in the Yan Yee Garden Market and one market stall in the Yeung Uk Road Market with a total chicken population of about 1 000. They are showing signs of being infected. So, the 1 000 chickens in these four market stalls have been destroyed.
Also today, the Expert Group advising the Government on the control of influenza amongst chicken convened a meeting today.
The experts have taken into account the current situation. They are of the view that since there is as yet no scientific evidence that the virus affecting our chicken population is related to or similar to the one that spread to human beings in 1997.
The measures that we are taking to control the spread of this chicken influenza virus are appropriate and they should be effective in arresting the spread of chicken influenza. But we will of course take into account other developments in the next few days.
At the same time, the experts found that from the test results, the market cleansing day (i.e. rest day) each month is having the desired effect in breaking the life cycle of these viruses.
So the experts recommended that we introduce an additional rest day this month. Coincidentally, the trade also suggested to us this afternoon that they would like to have a rest day as soon as possible.
The departments concerned are now meeting representatives of the trade and I very much hope that we would have a rest day as soon as possible so that the markets would be cleansed in time and reopened for the Lunar New Year.
I would like to stress that placing the farms under quarantine does not mean that the chicken population in those farms will be destroyed. We will only destroy the chickens if there are clear signs and evidence that they are infected.
Reporter: (the source of the infection)
SEF: At the moment, we are unable to trace the source of the virus because as I explained at last year's round of avian flu, there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of chickens in the retail markets. And it is not possible to identify where the infection comes from. But since there are now three farms in Kam Tin which are infected, we have identified another four farms in the area where the chicken population seems to be having some sort of problems. We feel that at the entire Kam Tin area, the farms there should be placed under quarantine. But I feel that as far as the retail markets are concerned, since we are unable to identify the sources of the infection, having a rest day would be an effective measure to break the current cycle. I very much hope that the rest day can take place within this week.
Reporter: (Is it H5N1 virus)
SEF: Well, at the moment as I said yesterday, tests have shown that the virus that affected the 1 500 chickens picked up at our wholesale market on Friday and the first farm which the source of these 1 500 chickens is an H5 virus. You ask me why it is not possible to identify H5. It is because gene sequencing takes time. And I said yesterday that we would take about a week to identify what kind of H5 virus. I should add that even if they were H5N1, there are many many types of H5N1 viruses. And we should not jump to the conclusion that all H5N1 viruses would affect human beings.
Reporter: (Is the virus spreading)
SEF: Well, I think the facts speak for itself. Out of 800-odd markets stalls being managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) , we have discovered problems in four stalls today. And in the last two days, there were problems in two or three stalls in Tsuen Wan Market. So the fact speaks for itself.
It is four markets out of a substantial number of markets.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
End/Tuesday, February 5, 2002
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