_|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

FEHD is enclosed live poultry retail outlets in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Wen)
2008-06-11 (17:57)


Following the Road in Sham Shui Po security markets, the Government again in Fanling, Tuen Mun and Ap Lei Chau Li Yan Oi Market swab samples found with the H5N1 avian flu virus and decided comprehensive slaughter of chickens at the retail level. However, wholesale markets and local farms and found no bird flu virus, so at this stage without a chicken slaughtering activities.

FEHD officers are enclosed all live poultry retail outlets, including scattered in 64 of 260 public market stalls and 209 fresh provision shops, department staff are enclosed a total of 470 live poultry retail outlets, After preparation for the destruction of all live poultry.

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[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

[I'm checking out all of our news feed for anything to indicate if the additional markets where they detected more H5N1, had poultry showing symptoms...]

Hong Kong begins bird cull as H5N1 spreads

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong ordered a cull of poultry across all the city's markets on Wednesday in a bid to stop the spread of the H5N1 virus between birds scattered across the territory.

Officials last week found the bird flu virus at a poultry stall in one of the city's many so-called wet markets and ordered the culling of 2,700 birds over the week.

Government officials said on Wednesday the virus had since spread among the island's poultry population.

"We have not found any dead chickens with the virus -- not yet. We have not had any human cases," said Cheng Siu-hing, director of agriculture, fisheries and conservation.
-snip-
The virus was discovered in a market in the city's Sham Shui Po neighborhood last week, in the northern district of Kowloon, but health officials later found traces of the virus in the more remote New Territories and on the main island itself, home to much of the city's commerce and retail.

Hong Kong had banned poultry imports from mainland China for 21 days since the first instance of the virus was discovered over the weekend, as well as from local farms in the territory.
-snip-

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080611/hl_nm/birdflu_hongkong_dc

[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

2nd article that mentions "4" markets. In the first article I thought they were referring to the original market. But this story makes me believe it is 4, in addition to, the original market]

HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong officials say they plan to slaughter all live poultry in the territory's street markets after detecting the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus.


Health workers in Hong Kong are slaughtering chickens after a bird flu outbreak.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Director Cheung Siu-hing said tests returned Wednesday showed birds infected in four markets.
-snip-

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/11/bird.flu.ap/

[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Hong Kong Slaughters Chickens After Bird Flu Found (Update1)
By Kyunghee Park and Nipa Piboontanasawat



June 11 (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong ordered the slaughter of all chickens in the city's markets and retail outlets after the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in four markets, the government said at a press briefing today. Last week, the government banned poultry imports from mainland China and suspended exports from local farms for as long as 21 days.
-snip-
About 3,500 chickens are being killed, with vendors paid HK$30 ($3.84) for each bird, according to the government. Tests are being conducted at bird farms to determine whether further action is needed, it said.

The virus was detected in bird feces, and no animal or human deaths have been linked to the virus, the government said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aVdyv89LYZEQ&refer=home

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Hong Kong Acts Against Bird Flu

By SKY CANAVES

June 11, 2008

HONG KONG -- Responding to its first occurrence of bird flu in domesticated poultry in five years, Hong Kong Wednesday ordered the slaughter of live chickens at retail outlets.

The move will affect only about 3,500 birds largely in street markets. Officials said they hadn't found any cases of the virus among the 1.5 million birds at Hong Kong's poultry farms and wholesalers. Still, the move signals lingering concerns about the potential for a bird flu outbreak in the region.

Hong Kong officials said it wasn't yet clear where the infected chickens were from local or mainland farms. Mainland China is the source of the majority of chickens sold in the Hong Kong. Supplies of live poultry from mainland China, as well as from local farms, were suspended for three weeks as authorities stepped up inspections at Hong Kong's 64 outdoor markets.

Li Jinxiang, an official with China's Ministry of Agriculture, said Wednesday that mainland authorities are strengthening their inspection of poultry farms that supply Hong Kong but haven't found any new bird flu cases. He said results of a nationwide poultry inspection that ended in late May will be released later this week.

Mr. Li said authorities in China have found about 30 positive results from samples in the first several months of this year but no dead birds, which would signal a more severe incident.

Hong Kong authorities have already slaughtered 2,700 poultry since Saturday after a routine inspection of one outdoor food market turned up five cases of the virus. On Wednesday, the government said that further testing had found the bird flu virus in chickens at three additional food markets.

Bird flu ? formally known as the H5N1 strain of avian influenza -- does not currently pose a major threat to humans and it is not easily transmitted from person to person. But scientists warn that mutations could make it more hazardous. Since 2003, the virus has infected 383 people in 15 countries, including China, Indonesia and Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization, and has proven fatal in 63% of those cases.

Hong Kong seen occasional bird flu incidents but no major outbreaks since 1997, when the virus killed six people and led to a slaughter of the territory's 1.5 million birds. The virus has not been found in domesticated poultry in the Hong Kong since 2003. Mainland China has reported over 90 cases in poultry during the last five years, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Asked why Hong Kong had not begun to cull poultry sooner, York Chow, Hong Kong's health secretary, said that, under existing government guidelines, the discovery of the H5N1 virus in one site required the slaughter of birds only from that particular location. "But if we have more than one site, then we will have a suspicion that it would have spread. Then of course we have more justifications to cull all the chickens," he said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121319201231864235.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[Giuseppe]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Government culls all live poultry in retail markets
June 11 2008, 16.10.20

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.
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http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200806/11/P200806110361.htm

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[Giuseppe]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Public hospitals to heighten vigilance for avian influenza
June 11 2008, 13.30.00

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

Following the Government announcement today (June 11) that more samples taken from local poultry stalls were tested positive of H5N1 avian influenza, the Hospital Authority (HA) reiterated the implementation of a number of enhanced measures under the current Serious Response Level in public hospitals, while all frontline staff have been reminded again to stay vigilant for avian influenza.

The HA spokesman said hospital staff at Accident & Emergency Departments and general outpatient clinics was reminded to be vigilant to patients especially those who work in or have visited poultry markets, and have close contact with poultry or wild bird.

Triage assessment and appropriate segregation at waiting areas would be arranged for high risk patients.

''The Centre for Health Protection will implement medical surveillance for the exposed workers from the poultry markets.

Referral for admission will be directed to the HA Infectious Disease Center at Princess Margaret Hospital, which is ready to receive the first batch of human cases of avian influenza for isolated treatment''?

''Furthermore, to enhance the laboratory support for conducting rapid tests for symptomatic patients, our laboratory network will be ready to provide extended service together with the Public Health Laboratory Centre of the Department of Health.

The laboratory network includes Princess Margaret Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, and Tuen Mun Hospital.''

''To meet the infection control requirements at public hospitals, visiting hours for acute wards are not more than two hours per day and not more than two visitors at a time, while that for convalescent hospitals are not more than six hours per day and not more than two visitors at a time.

Hospital Infection Control Teams will re-assess and make necessary arrangements to facilitate voluntary services in the hospitals.''

Public are also reminded of the current infection control measures under the Serious Response Level, including the implementation of hand hygiene; visitors and patients with respiratory symptoms are required to put on surgical masks in hospitals and clinics.

The HA will continue to closely liaise and co-operate with the Centre for Health Protection to keep the general public and professionals posted of the most updated situation and relevant information.
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http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200806/11/P200806110313.htm

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[Giuseppe]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Three more markets found to have samples tested positive of H5N1 virus
June 11 2008, 17.28.45

A spokesman of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (June 11) announced that three more environmental samples taken from cages of poultry stalls in three markets were tested positive of the H5N1 avian influenza virus after laboratory tests.

The three markets were Luen Wo Hui Market in Fanling, Yan Oi Market in Tuen Mun and Ap Lei Chau Market.

In addition to Po On Road Market in Sham Shui Po where had already been cordoned off, there had been four markets with samples tested positive of the H5N1 avian influenza virus so far.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation has made an order to declare all market stalls or fresh provision shops (FPS) which have live poultry for sale as infected areas and trading in live poultry must be suspended and culled immediately.

In addition, all poultry carcasses sold or stored at these premises would also to be disposed of to protect public health.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has cordoned off all the market stalls and FPS selling live poultry and prohibited the removal of poultry. As at 9 pm today, the number of live poultry slaughtered was 1 470.

AFCD has inspected all 50 local chicken farms and Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market in the past few days. No abnormality has been found so far.

AFCD has taken samples for testing from local farms and wholesale poultry market. The test results for all samples so far have been negative and AFCD would continue to conduct further testing.

FEHD has sent staff to Mainland registered farms and processing plants to ensure that chickens and poultry meat for supply to Hong Kong would not be affected.

In light of the presence of avian influenza virus in three more markets, the Government has decided 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.

At the moment, there is no human case of avian influenza infection in Hong Kong.

The Department of Health and the Hospital Authority would enhance the work on testing of human infection of avian influenza.

Particular attention would be paid to the health condition of poultry workers in the affected markets.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has called on members of the public to seek medical treatment immediately if they have influenza symptoms such as high fever.

Public and private hospitals as well as clinics should report to CHP immediately when there is any suspected case of avian influenza.

In addition, CHP has set up a hotline 2125 1122 to answer public enquiries and monitor public health condition.

The Government has all along been sparing no effort in cracking down on illegal import of live poultry and birds.

The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) together with the relevant departments would conduct a comprehensive investigation and step up actions to deter smuggling activities.

C&ED calls on members of the trade and the public to report any smuggling of poultry and any intelligence to the Customs Information Hotline 2545 6182.

The spokesman called on members of the public to avoid contacting live birds.

After contacting them, they should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water. Poultry should be thoroughly cooked before eating. Extra attention should also be paid to personal and environmental hygiene in guarding against avian influenza.
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http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200806/11/P200806110373.htm

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[HenryN]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/06110803/H5N1_HK_Asymptomatic_Spread.html

[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Again found to have avian flu virus in chickens slaughtered Government
[大纪元Jun 11 (CNA reporter CHEN Xing Man Hong Kong 11th,) today announced the HKSAR Government, and three markets in the feces samples of chickens found to have avian flu virus, decided to slaughter all retail Live chickens.

Government departments at a press conference, Director of AFCD Miss Cheung said that following the recent Sham Shui Po On Road in the markets of chickens found to have avian flu virus, and in Fanling, Ap Chau and Lee Tuen Mun and caring markets of swab samples and found that swab samples of the H5N1 avian influenza virus positive.
The Government announced that all the markets selling live poultry stalls and fresh provision shops to infected areas, wholesale markets and local farms and found no bird flu virus, at this stage slaughter of chickens are confined to the territory markets.

He said that the urgent task is to all the relevant markets and other markets as infected areas, and to take enclosed and the slaughter of chickens.

According to government statistics, as of yesterday evening, the retail outlets about 3,500 live chickens. The June 7 announcement of security markets, the avian flu virus before, there are about 100,000 live chickens in the market.

A chicken traders said it had received the notice, will slaughter all live poultry markets.

However, the local electronic media reports, found out swab samples containing the virus duck Lee Chau markets today, there are still chicken spread out the door business, the responsible person dissatisfied with the Government suddenly full of live chickens culled, resulting in industry losses, hope the authorities concerned to pay compensation.

Hong Kong authorities on June 7 in Sham Shui Po On Road markets found that fecal samples of chickens found to contain the H5N1 avian influenza virus, in order to avoid expansion of the epidemic, immediately decided to suspend imports of live chickens from mainland China.

The Government announced three other markets found chicken feces samples of the bird flu virus, since the afternoon of the territory enclosed 64 markets and 470 fresh provision shops selling live poultry shops, slaughter operation.

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[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

3 markets found bird flu chicken manure
[大纪元June 11

The Hong Kong Government in the Security Road Market found that the avian flu swab, and then in Tuen Mun, Cheung Chau Yin Fanling and duck markets and found that chickens Feces of the H5N1 avian flu positive.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Director of Miss Cheung, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Huan Liu Yan, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Assistant Director of Veterinary Xue Han, the Department of Health Director of the Center for Health Protection Thomas Tsang and the Assistant Commissioner of Customs Tan Yao strong today 17:30 held a press conference, explain the latest situation of avian flu.
It is understood that the Tuen Mun and caring Street, Fanling and Ap Chau Yin markets were found avian influenza virus in chicken manure, when the decision to slaughter of chickens in Hong Kong markets.

6/11/2008 5:37:05 PM

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.epochtimes.com%2Fgb%2F8%2F6%2F8%2Fn2147263.htm&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=zh-CN&sl=es&tl=en&tl=en

[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Hong Kong's public hospitals on the alert to cope with bird flu
2008年06月11日23:15
China news agency in Hong Kong June 11 - Hong Kong also found that local poultry retailers chicken feces samples showed positive for the H5N1 avian flu, the Hospital Authority on the 11th night that it would further strengthen in the public hospitals under severe strain-level implementation of infection control measures, And to remind front-line health care workers must be on the alert for avian flu.

HA spokesman said, the council today to remind the public hospital emergency rooms and general out-patient clinics of the front-line staff, pay special attention to poultry workers, who have attended the poultry market, and have had close contact with the birds of the patients. Hospitals and clinics for high risk groups for triage and assessment, and separate waiting areas for specific areas.

In addition, the Center for Health Protection for the markets of poultry workers for medical monitoring. The spokesman said that if required hospitalization, will arrange for them to stay at Princess Margaret Hospital's infectious disease centre HA treated in isolation, the Centre has been ready to receive bird flu cases.

To further enhance rapid testing laboratory support services, public hospitals network of laboratories will, in conjunction with the Department of Health Public Health Laboratory Centre, stand extended. The laboratory network including the Princess Margaret Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital.

-snip-

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://news.qq.com/a/20080612/000675.htm

[Commonground]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

There are no dead chickens virus ? Unusual

[2008-06-12]
(LUO Jing-wen, the PRD News reporter Zheng Hailong) in the days to spot checks, can only be found in chicken manure H5N1 avian flu virus, but never find the dead chickens and chicken , The Government does not rule out the possibility that chicken traders deliberately conceal reported no abnormal deaths related, inter-departmental investigation is whether the issues involved in smuggling of chicken, or because of environmental factors such as wild birds spread the virus, at this stage will expand the scope of investigation. The Secretary for Health and Food York Chow said that the investigation is multi-events, is expected to take a week to complete all investigations.

At present only in the face of chicken stalls swab to find avian flu virus, but never in the dead chickens and chickens found on the Government believed that some chicken traders conceal, who failed to inform the process. Dr Chow said the chicken stalls in the licensing requirements of chicken traders to any diseased and dead chickens notified the department for inspection, but the past received very few reported cases, some believe that the industry may have been hiding the facts, and the need to The industry to find trace evidence. He stressed that the future will step up enforcement.

Assistant Commissioner of Customs Tan Yao-attended press conference yesterday, said, Sham Shui Po On Road Market further found that the H5N1 avian influenza virus, in conjunction with the AFCD, the department and other departments investigated, the market had contact with chicken stall Traders and related management personnel, there is no evidence showed that despite the current security Road Market involved the smuggling of chickens, but did not rule out the possibility of chicken smuggling, the Customs and Excise Department will extend the scope of the survey and urged the public can call the hotline to report 2545-6182, in order to make tracing .

Preliminary genetic sequencing no variation
The Government has completed Step On Road in Sham markets of the avian flu virus gene sequencing, initially did not clear the gene variation. AFCD Assistant Director of Xue Han said, has been identified in the bird flu virus gene, and the past three years, common in the Asia Pacific region similar to the avian flu virus. He said, is still only at the retail level to find the bird flu virus samples can not be ruled out with the spread of wild birds, such as smuggling of chicken all the relevant factors, the Government will in all directions to trace the source of infection.

No bird flu virus diseased or dead chickens, Xue Han believe may be related to cases of avian flu virus in chickens in volume is not high on. He explained that the vaccination of chickens to curb the avian flu virus, the viral load reduction. Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said Liu Yan, the Government is asked chicken traders to keep receipts for 60 days, will be encrypted to random testing at least once every two weeks chicken traders into the documentation to ensure that no excessive accumulations of chickens.

Yantian daily smuggling of hundreds of coastal
As for the private sector playing the Shenzhen when interviewed by reporters said that the recent case proved to be no smuggling of chickens imported to Hong Kong, but related to that, every midnight to dawn, in Yantian District, the total coastal fishing boats and smuggling all kinds of sheltering each other Goods from Shenzhen and Hong Kong, out of chicken, about the number of boats on the 1st two hundreds. He said that Hong Kong there is a strong demand for live chickens, so there are a certain number of daily smuggling of chickens into Hong Kong. He said that before the outbreak of bird flu, chickens from the Mainland to Hong Kong unable to meet the people of Hong Kong on consumption, so the smuggling of chickens came into being: "Hong Kong chicken is great demand, especially those elderly people living alone Live on the CSSA and the Hong Kong people, eating more fish buy some cats, Chiji also choose to buy more than the smuggling of chicken, because these chickens did not immune, the relative cost of legal immigrants than the much cheaper chicken. "

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://paper.wenweipo.com/2008/06/12/YO0806120002.htm

[HenryN]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.00044622013f3bba138f7&t=h&ll=22.318081,114.225347&spn=1.087472,1.5271&z=9

[HenryN]

Re: _|Hong Kong PRC SAR: H5N1 IN CHICKEN|_

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/06110804/H5N1_HK_Alert.html