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

[Shiloh]

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

Source: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_d...742&con_type=1

H5N1 fears on smuggled chickens
Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Smuggled chickens may have been the cause of the latest outbreak of the bird flu virus.

The suspicions arose after the farms that supplied the three stalls at the center of the H5N1 outbreak cleared preliminary checks.

Customs officials said yesterday they are treating reports of smuggling seriously.

Officers also said they would be stepping up intelligence-gathering operations to prevent underground poultry shipments.

"We will collaborate with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in investigating the reported problem of smuggling at both the wholesale and retail levels," said Tam Yiu- keung, acting assistant commissioner of intelligence and investigation at the Customs and Excise Department.

AFCD assistant director of inspection and quarantine Thomas Sit Hon-chung added: "Invoices show the chickens that tested positive came from three local and six mainland registered farms.

"But checks at the three local farms showed no problems, and mainland inspection and quarantine authorities have also confirmed there are no problems with the six farms on their side."

Sit said more than 70 samples taken from farms, wholesale and retail markets all tested negative for H5N1. More tests will be conducted at local and mainland farms and the results will be out in a few days.

The FEHD has sent inspectors to mainland farms and processing plants.

Sales of around 4,000 chickens left in the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market resume today after samples tested negative.

Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers' and Retailers' Association chairman Steven Wong Wai-chuen said he had heard that chilled chickens were being smuggled in by sea and land in air-conditioned carriers from Shenzhen.

"The wholesale price of such chickens is about HK$7 or HK$8 a catty, while the usual price is about HK$16 a catty," he said.

All chickens were slaughtered and chilled in yesterday's city-wide cleanup - earlier than the bi-monthly routines on the 25th and 10th of every month.

Wong expected the sector to lose HK$100 million in sales during the 21-day suspension of chicken imports.

Traders dropped a plan to free chickens at SAR government headquarters and Government House yesterday after meeting with officials on Sunday. That came after FEHD acting director of operations Chu Lan-ying said compensation is being considered, with HK$30,000 and a three-month rent waiver planned for vendors in government markets and HK$60,000 for vendors in markets managed by The Link.

The scare erupted on Saturday after chickens at the Po On Road market in Sham Shui Po tested positive. All 2,700 chickens in the market's nine stalls were culled.

[Commonground]

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

Hong Kong reports H5N1 at poultry market

Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer
Jun 9, 2008 (CIDRAP News) ? Authorities in Hong Kong recently reported finding H5N1 avian influenza at a poultry market, marking the first detection of the virus in poultry there in more than 2 years.

Animal health officials detected the H5N1 virus in five chicken dropping samples from three poultry stalls, according to a Jun 7 press release from Hong Kong's information services department. Officials ordered all 2,700 birds at the market to be culled and planned to disinfect the market. The release didn't mention whether any chickens were sick or died.

Over the past several years, Hong Kong has filed several reports of individual sick or dead wild birds that tested positive for the H5N1 virus. However, the special administrative region of China hasn't had a major poultry outbreak since 1997, when 18 people were hospitalized with H5N1 infections and 6 died, all after having contact with birds. An avian flu timeline prepared by the World Health Organization says that two chickens in Hong Kong tested positive for H5N1 in the early months of 2006.

York Chow, Hong Kong's secretary for food and health, said in the press release that officials have traced the infected birds to a specific wholesale poultry market, but the chickens could have come from either local or mainland farms. He said imports of live chickens from the mainland and shipments from local sources would stop for 3 weeks to allow authorities to trace the source of the infected birds.

The region's food and environmental hygiene department has tightened inspections of 64 other markets that have poultry stalls and will be collecting more chicken droppings for testing, the press release said. Officials will also inspect mainland farms that supply birds to Hong Kong and collect samples from local wholesalers.

Government officials will also increase inspections of chilled poultry products from the mainland, as well as local retail markets and poultry farms, according to the press statement.

"If another case of avian influenza is found in other retail market in Hong Kong, the government will call all chickens in the retail level," Chow said.

Medical authorities were monitoring employees who worked at the three affected poultry stalls.

See also:

Jun 7 Hong Kong government press release

WHO's avian flu timeline

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/Timeline_08_06_2.pdf

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/jun0908avian.html

[Commonground]

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

[Please also see Post #18]

Hat-tip NawtyBits

Experts worry the virus increased risk of human transmission
http://www.wenweipo.com [2008-06-08]

[-] (LUO Jing Wen) Security Road Market sale of chickens were found to have stool with the H5N1 avian flu virus, no large-scale dead chickens, some experts worry that chickens supplied to Hong Kong are vaccinated, inhibit Symptoms, but increase the difficulty of monitoring. 事件亦可能反映雞隻所接種的疫苗失效，不排除接種疫苗的時間和劑量出現問題。 Incident may also reflect the vaccination of chickens by the failure of the vaccine, the vaccine does not rule out the time and dosage problems. 他稱，糞便藏病毒的傳播風險，比直接接觸死雞病毒為低，但市民在處理活雞時應注意衛生，並應以 高溫烹調。 He said that stool risk of the spread of the virus, the virus than direct contact with dead chickens for the low, but the public attention should be paid in handling live chickens health, and should be high-temperature cooking.

現時供港的內地雞必須接種H5N1疫苗，本地雞則接種H5N2。 At present, the mainland to Hong Kong must be vaccinated chickens H5N1 vaccine, local chickens were inoculated H5N2. 中大微生物學系教授陳基湘形容，事件顯示病毒傳人的風險提高，並指接受疫苗接種的雞隻不一定100%受保護 ，反而可能令雞隻病徵減輕，增加監測困難。 Chinese University microbiology professor Chen Jixiang described the incident showed that the virus increase the risk of human transmission, and that vaccinated chickens may not necessarily 100 percent protected, it may reduce the symptoms of chicken, increased monitoring difficult. 他建議，市民將所有雞隻當成「染病雞」，做好防護措施。 He suggested that the public will all chickens as a "sick chicken" and do a good job protection measures.

疫苗失效或是原因之一 Vaccine failure or one of the reasons

港大感染及傳染病中心總監何柏良表示，今次個案可能涉及3大原因，可能是沒有接種疫苗的走私雞受感染，或雞 隻受候鳥感染，也可能是疫苗失效。 Infection and the University of Hong Kong Center for Infectious Diseases Director Dr Bai Liang said the case may involve three major reasons, may not vaccinated smuggling of chicken infected by migratory birds or infected chickens, may also be vaccine failure. 他解釋，導致疫苗失效因素多，涉及接種疫苗時間和劑量，但現階段難以斷言。 He explained that many factors led to vaccine failure, and the time involved in vaccine dose, but difficult to assert that at this stage.

港大微生物學系系主任袁國勇表示，事件顯示人類感染風險增加，政府需要控制疫情，必須為所有街市消毒，並調 查疫苗是否失效，抑或是臨近端午節，多了走私雞。 HKU Department of Microbiology, Yuen Kwok-yung said that the incident show an increased risk of human infection, the Government needs to control the epidemic, for all markets must be disinfected, and investigate whether the vaccine failure, or Dragon Boat Festival is drawing near, more smuggling of chicken.

http://tinyurl.com/57kzvj

[sharon sanders]

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

hat -tip Treyfish -

10/06/2008, on Tuesday in the morning 09:00


Today headline

The commonplace official recognizes straight does not know selects the o Lebanon
Bird flu chicken free line

[Daily Sun special news]The Hong Kong besets with a crisis panic which once again the bird flu erupts, but government (earth step) the security downtown chicken files examined the H5N1 virus after last Saturday announcement deep water, until now had still not found sickness chicken origin. Fishing agriculture nature nursing bureau yesterday pointed out that the investigation discovered that cause troubles the chicken files live chicken from the Hong Kong and the inland altogether nine chicken houses, but the lab results actually could not find the virus, for the last few days also does not have the discovery from the retail outlet and the wholesale market spot check's 70 environment sample, right ?bird flu chicken? not in the least clue. Rested the city cleanly after yesterday, the cheung sha wan domesticated fowl wholesale market approximately 4000 sell remains the chicken to be possible duplicate to sell now through the chemical examination. Infectious disease specialist Lao Yongle mass-criticizes food and the sanitation bureau has not found out sickness chicken to originate, continues lets the live chicken sell is slowly deceives gives a thought to the public safety, ruthless group of bureau chiefs Monday mountain ?crazed?, once has the resident to infect, he can hardly absolve, urges the authority to destroy and suspension of sales market condition all live chickens as soon as possible.
Yuhushu assistant bureau chief Xue Hanzong yesterday indicated that after investigation security downtown chicken files documentary evidence, demonstrated that the live chicken from three local chicken houses and six inland for the port chicken house, Hong Kong's chemical examination sample assumes the negative, inland reported not receives the chicken only exceptionally to die, later will send the veterinarian toward inland inspection. But the local 50 chicken house not unusual circumstance, next several days will also extract the sample chemical examination; Has not examined until now in other downtown extraction's sample has the question. The outside criticism chemical examination time is too long, Xue explained that the environment sample must carry on by the embryo cultivation law, therefore takes time for several days.

Does not remove the virus from the smuggling chicken
When last week the authority announced the event, once suspected that involved the smuggling chicken, but the landing-waiters yesterday for the first time responded time, assistant Chief Tan Yaoqiang declared that took seriously to smuggle the chicken question, will unite with Yuhushu and Shihuanshu only retails, the wholesale stratification plane in the chicken to make the criminal detection, strengthened various important passes intelligence collection and the monitor, blocked off the smuggling activity, but has not announced any concrete investigation motion and the discovery.
Both could not find the smuggling evidence, and could not examine the H5N1 virus, the investigation zero progress. Xue Hanzong acknowledged that the present stage has not been able to determine the cause of disease, will investigate each link, will not remove the virus and the smuggling chicken or the wild bird concerns.
Lao Yongle mass-criticizes the authority not to be able to find out sickness chicken to originate, confessed difficultly to the resident. He believed that all retail outlets, the wholesale market and the chicken house lab results could not find the virus, demonstrated that the examination possibly has the error, causes the individual chicken only to examine the belt virus, other chickens have not only been able to confirm: ?the government the words safe, the residents buys all day long exposes to the sun o the chicken o Lebanon food, destroys the corpse and leave no trace, the stem is Mie Duyan, authority this is processes the fault!?

The expert rumbles the mountain to be Monday crazed
Lao Yongle indicated that Hong Kong facing eruption bird flu's risk, if Monday mountain still allowed that duplicate sells the live chicken, ?equates crazed?. He reiterated that not only if sickness chicken from the cheung sha wan domesticated fowl wholesale market, the eruption risk should limit to a downtown, Monday the mountain only stops the security chicken files selling the procedure which the chicken is backs up, just likes 97 year eruption bird flu is the same, on the other hand ?on the one hand the files have the matter to fall the files?, controls the epidemic situation no use. Lao Yongle believed that Yuhushu may simultaneously carry on the viral fast test and the embryo cultivation, speeds up obtains the analysis report, if tested fast found the bird flu virus first, might kill the chicken immediately, exempted the epidemic situation proliferation.

http://svsurl.systransoft.com/?t=outputframeset&link=trans&task=11d1def534ea1be0-2630612f-11a63a2dff9-7b2f

[Commonground]

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

"But the local 50 chicken house", where is this? Inland? Private chicken houses?

Post #34:

Yuhushu assistant bureau chief Xue Hanzong yesterday indicated that after investigation security downtown chicken files documentary evidence, demonstrated that the live chicken from three local chicken houses and six inland for the port chicken house, Hong Kong's chemical examination sample assumes the negative, inland reported not receives the chicken only exceptionally to die, later will send the veterinarian toward inland inspection. But the local 50 chicken house not unusual circumstance, next several days will also extract the sample chemical examination; Has not examined until now in other downtown extraction's sample has the question. The outside criticism chemical examination time is too long, Xue explained that the environment sample must carry on by the embryo cultivation law, therefore takes time for several days.

[Commonground]

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

Hong Kong did not identify source of bird flu virus
[大纪元June 10 - The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Assistant Director Xue Han were on the 9th that the H5N1 avian flu virus found in Sham Shui Po Road Market chickens port security, from three local and six mainland farms. However, the authorities have not been able to identify the source of disease, avian flu continued to shadow over Hong Kong.
-snip-

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|_

2008/06/10
Panic ahead of a clean bird markets

Associated Press beam Luce, Lin Yi Hong Kong: Government reported last Saturday that security Sham  Road Market chicken droppings found to be highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus after, immediately announced a moratorium on the import of live poultry in mainland China 21, And contingency measures by the alert level raised to serious, and two days earlier than the scheduled time for the markets clean. Live poultry stall operators are complaining about sales fell, suffered heavy losses, requested the Government to give compensation. Microbiology experts have pointed out that the markets in the urban areas found that the H5N1 virus, the avian flu threat to humans showed that the risk increased.
-snip-
Experts: bird to human by threats

In the densely populated urban markets found that highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, the Chinese University Department of Microbiology, Professor Chen Jixiang stressed that this is a very strong warning: "Because of chickens in the markets is very dense, so if a virus, Usually there will be many chickens will be infected, the virus will be the number of many. There are many other markets and the public will have close contact with birds, chickens infected, pass the relatively high, relatively in birds, chickens Bar or find a chicken farm, that a more recent threat to the public. "He also pointed out that the virus was found in chickens with no symptoms of infection are invisible, difficult to find and relatively threatening.

The Government then said it was the H5N1 avian flu virus tracing the source, for the three weeks after the resumption of live chicken imports.

Have not traced the source of the virus

AFCD Assistant Director Xue Han were at a press conference yesterday that the virus has not yet been traced to the source, did not rule out any possibility, and the Customs and Excise Department will continue to investigate the possibility of smuggling of chicken, but no evidence that the source of the smuggled chickens.

Xue Han cases and said that the discovery of H5N1 avian influenza virus with the chickens, has been traced to three farms from Hong Kong and six mainland to Hong Kong's chicken farms, but the chicken farms from the stool samples for testing, temporarily All of the virus were negative. In addition, the relevant mainland farms also have not received any report of unusual situation, but the Government will send veterinarians to inspect these farms.

In Hong Kong retail outlets in samples taken the time being also found no positive results. Jinqi authorities announced that within three days in Hong Kong 50 swab samples taken from farms, chicken farms in Hong Kong will be the ultimate test of the sample. ◇

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|_

hat-tip Treyfish

Explosion shadow of the avian flu sales of live chicken markets down Macao business deserted chicken stalls


Graphic: the birds to be kept waiting for the test samples be shipped out without question the market. (Source: Macao Daily)

June 10 - According to the Macao Daily News reported that after the Dragon Boat Festival, because of Hong Kong found that chickens with avian flu, affected residents "fresh chicken" sentiment. Macau chicken traders said that on the 9th of business than usual on February 3 percent reduction, markets more deserted. In accordance with past practice, I believe desalination market will continue at least 20 days, residents will not return to the "fresh chicken" confidence.

However, another chicken traders said that this post is a normal business deserted, in fact on the 9th business day after Dragon Boat Festival last year and similar to that little problem.

After the Dragon Boat Festival on the 9th, markets stalls selling chickens in the flow of people is obviously more recently deserted.
-snip-
Sales deserted, but the price or not. On the 9th still live chickens sold 20 yuan per catty, as the sale of fresh chicken every two 1.8 yuan, with pre-like. Gan wife Xiaoyan, in accordance with past practice, desalination market may have to continue 10, the end to see how long the incident disturbance can be determined.

Chicken traders are worried about market conditions, but also chicken traders and the fact that sales comparable to last year, there is no anomaly. Mr Hui said chicken traders, the market is a short post-normal, in fact on the 9th of business and last year's Dragon Boat Festival the following day for similar sales. He said that Macao's own bird flu was found that little problem, Mr. Xu to the restaurant every day "delivery" number as usual, did not substantially reduced, I believe that one week after the sales will return to normal.

President Rong residents on the 9th as usual to markets to buy fresh chicken, she said, an average of once a week will eat chicken, that as long as the chicken cooked before consumption, not the problem.

http://209.85.135.104/translate_c?hl=en&langpair=zh%7Cen&u=http://news.sohu.com/20080610/n257394153.shtml

[Giuseppe]

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

SFH on avian influenza
June 11 2008, 7.35.10

Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media session after attending radio programmes this morning (June 11):

Reporter:
The latest discovery of bird flu last Saturday has exposed the loophole in the Government's bio-security measures. What are you trying to do now to prevent this from happening again?

Secretary for Food and Health:
We have analysed the situation very closely since last Saturday. The four levels of control in terms of bio-security and of avian flu are in our poultry farms, in the border between the Mainland and Hong Kong, the wholesale and retail markets.

We have been doing a lot of inspection in our local farms. We have sent our inspectors and veterinary specialists to the Mainland to look at some of the affected farms destined for Hong Kong.

So far, we have not discovered any abnormality.

The PCR tests for virus are also negative.

We also look at the wholesale market. We found that the poultry in the market had shown no abnormality and the PCR tests are also negative.

We also screened through the tests from all the chickens passed through Man Kam To to see whether there is any abnormality in the last few weeks. Again, we did not find anything.

The only abnormality we have detected is in the retail market.

The test for the retail market involved both the PCR test and egg inoculation test. PCR test will give result within a short time and that's why we have announced the result on Monday when the first batch of results came up.

But there will be more results coming from the egg inoculation tests from the retail market later today.

We hope that with those results coming out, we can have a clearer picture of the extent of the problem.

If we found any of these additional tests showed positive results, we need to take relevant actions immediately.

Reporter:
Do you admit that smuggling of chickens remains a big problem for your bureau?

Secretary for Food and Health:
According to the record of the Hong Kong Customs, we have discovered four incidents of smuggling. We have also actually been able to confiscate all the chickens last year.

The biggest amount we have confiscated last year is almost up to 4,000. This is actually a sizeable smuggling exercise. The most important thing when we come to counteract such activities is information and intelligence. We hope that the trade would be more honest and able to tell us about what they have received.

Because most of the time we have to rely on such information before we can mount any operation.

Reporter:
How do you respond to criticisms that the bureau lacks political will to cull all the chickens on Monday instead of allowing the retailers to sell the chickens?

Secretary for Food and Health:
It is not a political decision. According to our guideline, if we find there is one retail site that has H5N virus avian influenza, we will just cull (chickens in) that site.

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.

Up to last Monday, there is only site that we have discovered to have H5 virus.

Reporter:
(about the latest incident in Tseung Kwan O Hospital where data of patients were dumped into landfill)

Secretary for Food and Health:
It is regarding a doctor who has not disposed of or put the relevant documents in the right place. I don't know the details. But it is important for any health care workers that needed to handle patients' documents involving confidentiality and privacy to lock the documents up and put them in the right place.

With the electronic health care system in the Hospital Authority, there is no reason that it should keep a lot of hard copies. They need to dispose of them in a proper way, either shredding them or giving them back to the original department.

Reporter:
A lot of people are concerned about whether one can get bird flu through eating. Do you have any advice for these people?

Secretary for Food and Health:
According to experts, so far all the patients of avian flu did not contract the disease from eating chickens. Most of them contract the disease by contacting sick chickens, in the process of slaughtering sick chickens or in the presence of live sick chickens.

All these are the scientific evidence showing that chilled and frozen chicken meat, though they might be contaminated with the virus, the risk of transmitting disease to humans is very low.

Reporter:
(about egg inoculation)

Secretary for Food and Health:
The egg inoculation process takes some time, a matter of three to seven days. Most of the virus can come out usually within three or four days. If the amount of virus is low, it will come out in six to seven days.

Normally, our scientists will discard the egg after about a week, depending on whether there is any significant change. It is a very accurate test, considered as a benchmark test and gold standard test for H5N virus. But unfortunately it is slow.

The PCR is the test that we always rely on when we suspect there is an H5 infection.

Reporter:
Bird flu normally occurs in winter months, but this time it appears in summer. So how concerned are you that there is a different strain?

Secretary for Food and Health:
We have done a genetic sequencing of the virus. It is the same as most of the dead birds we have discovered this winter.

There is no change in the genetic sequencing of the virus this time. (Please also refer to the Chinese session of the transcript.)
-

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200806/11/P200806110198.htm

-------

[Commonground]

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

I'm thinking that if the authorities in China are saying it was due to "smuggling" that leads me to another question. If the chickens were smuggled in, they were most likely not vaccinated. If they were not vaccinated, then they should have shown symptoms. The only way they would not show symptoms was if they were infected and not symptomatic "yet" at the very time they did the "routine test". That would be quite a coincidence.

So the question of them being smuggled is irrelevant.

[Giuseppe]

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

No genetic changes found in bird flu virus [But in the press briefing there wasn't mention to genetic tests date and time, samples' source - IOH]

There are no genetic changes in the H5N1 bird flu virus found at Po On Road Market, Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow says, adding more test results on samples collected from the retail market will be announced today.

Speaking to reporters after appearing on radio programmes today [See above IOH], Dr Chow said the Government has sent specialists to inspect both local and Mainland poultry farms and no abnormality has been detected. Poultry on the wholesale market and passing through Man Kam To have tested negative for the virus.

"The only abnormality we have detected is in the retail market. But there will be more results coming from the egg inoculation tests from the retail market later today. We hope with those results coming out, we can have a clearer picture of the extent of the problem. If any of these additional tests show positive results, we need to take action immediately."

Chicken cull
When asked why the Government allowed retailers to sell the chickens Monday he said it was not a political decision and the Government followed existing guidelines.

"If we find there is one retail site that has avian influenza, we will just cull (chickens in) that site. But if we have more than one site, then we will have a suspicion it will have spread. Then of course we have more justification to cull all the chickens. Up to last Monday, there is only site we have discovered to have the H5 virus."

On chicken smuggling, Dr Chow urged the trade to report any suspected cases.

-

http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/080611/html/080611en05005.htm

------

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

Hong Kong begins mass bird cull as H5N1 spreads

11 Jun 2008

Source: Reuters

HONG KONG, June 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong, hoping to stop the spread of the feared H5N1 bird flu virus among the city's many markets, will begin culling live poultry across the city, government officials said on Wednesday.

Hong Kong last week found H5N1 at a poultry stall in one of the many so-called wet markets and ordered the culling of 2,700 birds. But the virus had since spread among the island's poultry population and mass cullings were now necessary as a precaution, they told reporters.

Officials did not say if any people had been infected.

Since the H5N1 virus resurfaced in Asia in 2003, it has killed 241 people in a dozen countries, according to the World Health Organisation. Experts fear the constantly mutating H5N1 virus could change into a form easily transmitted from person to person. This could sweep the world, killing millions. (Reporting by Ruth Wong and Judy Hua; editing by Anne Marie Roantree)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HKU001014.htm

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

Hong Kong Orders Culling of All Chickens After Bird Flu Found


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

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has been detected in four markets, the government said in 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.

Concerns of a worldwide outbreak of lethal influenza have risen as the H5N1 virus spread from Asia to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The deadly strain may spark a global outbreak if it mutates to become as infectious to humans as seasonal flu.

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

[Commonground]

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

Government announced the immediate destruction of the live chicken markets in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Wen)
2008-06-11 (18:00)

Following the Sham Shui Po On Road Market has  faecal samples of chickens found to have H5N1 bird flu virus, again in three markets, found that swab samples of the H5N1 avian influenza virus positive, the Government decided to fully slaughter of chickens at the retail level.

Miss Cheung said the Director of AFCD, the authorities again in Fanling Market, Tuen Mun and caring markets and duck  Chau Market of environmental samples and found that the H5N1 avian flu virus, the Government and the Chamber of Commerce met with representatives of poultry after a decision has been sent immediately Hong Kong markets were to destroy 2,000 to 3,000 live chickens, chicken farms are still will not be affected.

DD Liu Yan said that the staff 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, prepared after the destruction of all live poultry.

Veterinary experts said that in the Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Market of the 125 samples taken from both the bird flu were negative. They inspected the territory taken from 50 farms and 150 samples from the chickens are healthy and bird flu were negative. So at this stage of the slaughter of chickens, only to Hong Kong markets. A chicken traders said it had received the notice, to destroy all chickens in markets.

The Government last week in Sham Shui Po On Road Market  chicken stalls in the swab samples and found that the H5N1 avian flu virus, last Saturday in the markets slaughtered 2,700 chickens and immediately suspend the supply of live chickens on the 21st.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.singtao.com%2Fbreakingnews%2F20080611a180427.asp&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=zh-CN&sl=es&tl=en&tl=en

[HenryN]

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

Hong Kong begins mass bird cull as H5N1 spreads

Wed 11 Jun 2008, 9:41 GMT
<INPUT id=CurrentSize type=hidden value=13 name=CurrentSize>
[-] Text [+]

(Adds details, officials' comments)
HONG KONG, June 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong ordered a mass cull of all poultry on Wednesday in a bid to stop the spread of the H5N1 virus between birds in hundreds of markets 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 and mass cullings were now necessary as a precaution.
"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.
"Of course, we cannot be complacent. That is why we're now taking decisive measures to close all remaining outlets and to cull all remaining live poultry."
Other officials estimated there were 3,500 live birds at roughly 470 stores, stalls or markets across Hong Kong as of Tuesday evening.
The virus was discovered in a market in the city's Sham Shui Po neighbourhood 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, where commerce and retail congregate.
Since the H5N1 virus resurfaced in Asia in 2003, it has killed 241 people in a dozen countries, according to the World Health Organisation.
Experts fear the constantly mutating H5N1 virus could change into a form easily transmitted from person to person. This could sweep the world, killing millions. (Reporting by Ruth Wong and Judy Hua; editing by Anne Marie Roantree)

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