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Due to the discovery of H5N1 avian influenza in samples taken from cages of poultry stalls in Luen Wo Hui Market in Fanling, Yan Oi Market in Tuen Mun and Ap Lei Chau Market, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation has made an order exercising statutory power to declare all markets and fresh provision shops which have live poultry for sale as infected areas.
As more than one market were found to have samples tested positive of H5N1 avian influenza virus, it showed that the virus might have the possibility of accumulating and spreading. Therefore, the Government needed to adopt decisive actions to protect public health.
The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, said today (June 11): "In light of the presence of avian influenza virus in three more markets, we decide to suspend temporarily live chicken imports from the Mainland for 21 days with effect from today, with reference to the guidelines of the World Organisation for Animal Health. At the same time, local farms would stop dispatching chickens to the market.
"Meanwhile, we will continue tracing the source of infection. Wholesale and retail markets have to be thoroughly disinfected and cleansed. We will discuss with the traders on how to enhance preventive management at retail level. Our primary concern is to safeguard public health. Should the improvement measures cannot be implemented at the retail level, we do not rule out to extend the 21-day suspension of live chicken imports."
Trading on live poultry in the infected areas must be suspended immediately. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is culling and destroying all live poultry and poultry products in all market stalls in full speed.
The discovery of avian influenza virus in a number of markets indicated that the current monitoring system was effective. But this also showed that there might be inadequacies in the preventive and control measures in retail markets. In view of this, the Government needed to review the supply chain of chickens, including the bio-security measures in farms and the licensing conditions of retail markets.
"An early detection of the virus will allow the Government to suspend live chicken trading immediately followed by cleansing and disinfection of the markets, which can prevent the virus from spreading and accumulating," Dr Chow said.
Dr Chow noted that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) had inspected 50 chicken farms in the past two days and collected their faecal samples. So far, all samples were tested negative of avian influenza virus. AFCD staffs also did not find any abnormality during the inspections.
Furthermore, as local chicken farms have adopted stringent biosecurity measures and operated in enclosed environment, they are relatively safe. Hence, there is no need to cull all chickens in local farms for the time being.
In addition, local experts do not find any signs of virus mutation. The vaccines used on chickens for preventive purpose are still effective.
Dr Chow appealed to the poultry traders to fully cooperate with the Government departments, and strengthen the disinfection and cleansing of wholesale and retail markets. The traders should report to the Government immediately if they found activities of poultry smuggling and sale of chickens from unknown source.
Ends/Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Issued at HKT 22:10
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