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In response to media enquiries, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong said today (February 27) that the allegation that the Government had attempted to halt investigation or had covered up the possibility that rats might have been a factor of transmission was totally groundless.
"What actually took place was exactly the opposite of the accusation," he said.
"Public health was always my first priority in all my considerations and decisions made during the SARS outbreak," Dr Yeoh stressed.
The following facts demonstrate that there is absolutely no basis for any of the allegations made:
* At the April 5 meeting, Dr Yeoh instructed an expert from Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to carry out autopsies on rats trapped in Amoy Gardens immediately, as autopsies would show changes in the rats if they had been infected. The preliminary results produced on the same day (a public holiday) indicated no changes indicative of a severe respiratory virus infection in the rats. Moreover, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) results of the swabs and tissues taken from these autopsied rats were all later found to be negative.
* In order to further clarify the precise role, if any, played by rats in the Amoy Gardens outbreak, Dr Yeoh instructed in the meeting that investigations on rats should be intensified with additional tests (including autopsies) to be carried out on more rat specimens. The Government Virus Unit also carried out additional PCR tests on tissue samples and antibody tests on the blood samples from the rats. The reports of these serological tests also did not show evidence of SARS coronavirus infection in the rats.
* A pest control expert from Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) gave an account of the pest control measures in the Amoy Gardens area at the meeting. He observed that rat infestation did not appear to be a problem in Amoy Gardens and there were few rat signs. He further explained that obvious signs of rat infestation had not been detected in the common areas of Block E, including the rooftop, staircases, light wells, utility rooms, as well as pipes on walls. Dr Yeoh instructed FEHD to intensify their pest control efforts in Amoy Gardens and the surrounding areas. He also asked FEHD to collect more specimens and to extend the collection area to beyond Amoy Gardens, such as Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate and Telford Gardens.
* A total of 62 samples (including throat swabs, droppings, urine and serum) were taken from rodents and tested by the Government Virus Unit for SARS coronavirus. Of these, six samples from droppings and two samples from throat swabs were positive. However, all the serum samples (i.e. blood samples) were negative, indicating that the rodents were not infected.
* The results of the investigations were that the rodents had shown no signs of SARS coronavirus infection. The Government made public on April 17, 2003 the findings on the Amoy Gardens outbreak investigation, including the fact that the virus had been found in rodents. The report also states that as the rodents showed no signs of infection, the findings only point to environmental contamination and that pests are likely to be no more than mechanical carriers for the virus in the Amoy Gardens outbreak.
* The findings of the Government's investigation were subsequently supported by an independent investigation conducted by a separate team of World Health Organization experts, the results of which were announced on May 16, 2003.
Ends/Friday, February 27, 2004
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