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A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau today (March 11) welcomed the decision of the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove Hong Kong from the jurisdictions included in an importation ban on birds and bird products.
The decision yesterday (US time) to remove Hong Kong from the list was based on:
* Hong Kong's documented public health measures to prevent the occurrence of avian influenza A (H5N1) in Hong Kong;
* The fact that Hong Kong has remained an avian influenza-free territory in Asia;
* The lack of avian influenza cases in Hong Kong's domestic and wild bird populations apart from the dead peregrine falcon - a migratory bird - found to be H5 positive in mid-January;
* The fact that since January 30, Hong Kong has suspended importation of live birds from countries affected by the outbreak.
Earlier in February, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, wrote to the director of the CDC, Dr Julie Gerberding, presenting Hong Kong's case and lobbying for the early lifting of the import ban.
In his letter to the director, Dr Yeoh stated that continued surveillance in Hong Kong had detected no single case of H5N1 infection in our poultry population.
He added that Hong Kong had also imposed a vaccination, inspection and surveillance programme for poultry farms and live poultry markets; implemented measures to prevent the spread of the virus through human traffic across the border; required local poultry farms to implement strict biosecurity programmes; and enhanced inspection and cleaning requirements for pet bird dealers.
Officials of the bureau have also taken an active role in lobbying for the early lifting of the ban with their local and Washington contacts.
In addition, the spokesman appreciated the earnest lobbying efforts and hard work of Hong Kong representatives in the US to successfully persuade the US authorities to lift the import ban on Hong Kong.
The US Department of Health and Human Services together with the Department of Agriculture instituted the importation ban on February 4 as outbreaks of avian flu spread in Southeast Asia.
Ends/Thursday, March 11, 2004
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