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Following is a transcript of the remarks (English portion) by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, at a media session during a public function today (June 16):
Dr Chow: We are concerned and also worried about this particular case mainly because of three reasons. First of all, the patient has no previous history of close or prolonged contact with poultry; secondly, like the other two cases in Shanghai and Guangzhou, these are patients coming from the city and not from the countryside; and the third reason is most of the outbreaks and avian flu infection in human in the past occurred in winter time, but this time is in hot summer. We have a suspicion, but we have not confirmed it yet, that the virus might have become more virulent and more widespread than we have expected. If that is the case, the risk for human to be infected in future is higher.
Reporter: But so far it is only in one case.
Dr Chow: Yes, it is only one case. We need to monitor the situation closely to see if there is continuity of this pattern. With this existing phenomenon, we are also concerned that in coming winter, we may be seeing more cases or more outbreaks particularly among the poultry as well in human.
Reporter: (On the import ban)
Dr Chow: Our policy of central slaughtering is already there. I think we face difficulty in choosing the site and also acceptance from the residents of the North District. On the other hand, we also know that every time we make a decision to ban chickens from importing to Hong Kong, it is not just that we are short of good chicken for our housewives, but more, it affects a lot of trades both in Hong Kong and Guangdong. It also affects the economy of China as well. In general, it is always a very difficult decision to make.
Reporter: (On surveillance in animals in China)
Dr Chow: China is a big country. Regarding Guangdong alone, we feel that this is one of the best controlled provinces in China, because they pledged that they vaccinate all the poultry. We do not know whether there is a change of immunity of the poultry population or whether there is a resistance in the vaccine. This has to be left to the agriculture authorities in Guangdong to investigate, but we are keeping very close communication with them on the progress.
Reporter: (On the human case)
Dr Chow: As I have said earlier, we do not have any firm evidence of what is happening. But we suspect that there might be some changes of immunity status of the poultry.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Friday, June 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:17
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