Press Releases
Avian flu found in local farm, poultry wholesale market to suspend operation
Chickens in a Ta Kwu Ling farm were found to have infected avian influenza in the latest test by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) staff.
The rapid PCR test last night (December 27) showed positive results for H5 virus in 12 chickens and further tests were being conducted.
A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said today (December 28) that over 1,000 chickens were found dead in the morning and the chicken farm owner had undertaken to surrender the chickens in his farm to the Government for proper disposal.
To stop the virus from spreading, the inter-departmental group on avian flu led by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau had decided to adopt a series of actions. First, AFCD had started to depopulate today the 16,000 chickens which were suspected to have a chance to contract the disease and the infected farm would be thoroughly cleansed to avoid possible spreading of the virus.
Secondly, AFCD staff had inspected the nearby 14 chicken farms in the area and found no abnormal death among the chickens.
"These farms will be put under close observation for any irregularities in the coming few days; we will also expand our pilot scheme for vaccination to cover the Ta Kwu Ling area and all younger chickens in these farms will be vaccinated in the coming two days in a bid to contain the spreading of the virus. We will also step up enforcement of the biosecurity measures in these farms," the spokesman said.
The spokesman also noted that the infected farm had made earlier deliveries to the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market on December 24-25.
"To minimize the risk on the possible spreading of the virus, we need to thoroughly cleanse the wholesale market to eliminate the virus that might exist there," the spokesman said.
The Government had informed the concerned parties on the Mainland this afternoon to stop sending chickens across the boundary after today's shipment so that the wholesale market could be vacated for cleansing. Locally, AFCD staff had also advised local farmers this afternoon to immediately stop their shipment of local chickens to the wholesale market.
It is expected that the Cheung Sha Wan market will be vacated by 9 am tomorrow (December 29) after all chickens are sent to retailers. Operation in the wholesale market will be resumed on December 31 (Tuesday).
At the retail end, the spokesman said there was no irregularity reported in the retail markets; since chickens from the infected chicken farm had been sold in retail shops in the past two days, there was a need to thoroughly cleanse the chicken stalls.
Staff from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department would closely monitor the situation in the retail market, if no abnormal death was detected, retailers could continue to sell their stock until December 30 (Monday) before vacating their stalls for thorough cleansing.
Live chickens will be available for sale in retail shops on January 1 (Wednesday).
The spokesman said: "Members of the public can continue to eat well cooked chickens without worrying about contracting the disease because avian influenza will not be passed on to human being through food consumption; the public should avoid contact with swaps of chickens, and should clean their hands thoroughly after making contact with chickens."
Saturday, December 28, 2002