Treyfish
Moderator
Infected bird a `serious' warning
<!-- The bird that was left in a Mong Kok pet shop and whose droppings tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus could be the prelude to "something more serious," and a complete culling of birds in the area is necessary, an infectious disease expert has warned.
//-->Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The bird that was left in a Mong Kok pet shop and whose droppings tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus could be the prelude to "something more serious," and a complete culling of birds in the area is necessary, an infectious disease expert has warned.
Lo Wing-lok said he was worried because the Daurian starling has shown no symptoms of bird flu.
"Asymptomatic H5N1 carriage can be the prelude to something more serious," he said.
However, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department assistant director Thomas Sit Hon-chung said the government has no plan to kill all the birds in the cluster of pet shops on Yuen Po Street, better known as "Bird Street," but will continue to monitor the situation.
A customer had left the infected bird for sale at one of the shops about two weeks ago, and AFCD officers are desperately trying to trace him.
The department had earlier taken a swab of the bird's droppings for tests that turned out to be positive for the virus. Some 300 birds from the same shop have been seized and taken to the department's management center in Sheung Shui for observation.
"They've found one case so far, but other birds in the area may have already been infected," Lo said.
He criticized the authorities for "bowing to pressure" from business establishments by implementing "half- baked" measures against bird flu.
"The government says it's closing down Bird Street until further notice, but shop tenants can still be seen walking in the area without putting on any special clothing. Some have been seen feeding the birds, and this is extremely risky if the birds are infected," Lo said.
"The government should kill all the birds in all the shops on Bird Street once and for all.
"One infected case is enough for the disease to spread. We should not wait for the test results."
He cited previous incidents, including the first bird flu outbreak in the territory in 1997, in which the authorities waited for virus test results before deciding on a mass cull of poultry. Six people died in that outbreak.
Lo urged the government to consider the welfare of the merchants affected by the latest case and offer them compensation.
Michael Chan Chi-wai, a microbiologist at Hong Kong University, disagreed that there should be a mass cull. He said a cull would be justified only if other birds in the area are found to have been infected.
It is not surprising to find a bird with H5N1 that has no symptoms of the disease, he said, adding that symptoms or the lack of them offer insufficient grounds to suspect virus mutation. The question of whether there has been any mutation can only be answered after genetic-sequencing tests have been carried out.
The AFCD said tests on other birds suspected to have been infected have so far been negative.
The department said it is closely monitoring the health of the shop owner who kept the infected starling on Bird Street.
It may consider altering the licensing laws on the sale of birds in pet shops after consultations with the industry.
"Currently, all imported birds are required to carry a medical certificate, and they can only enter the territory after tests have been conducted on them. But there is no such requirement for birds sold at shops," Sit said.
Yuen Po Street remained closed to the public Monday as the authorities implemented measures to prevent a possible spread of the disease. But while workers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in special uniforms carried out thorough cleansing of the area, some shop tenants turned up to feed their birds.
Some of the tenants were seen continuing with their business, dealing with customers through the locked gates.
The government reiterated that the tenants will not be compensated for their loss as the area is closed for health reasons. :tiphat: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_...=47181&sid=14118143&con_type=1&d_str=20070619
<!-- The bird that was left in a Mong Kok pet shop and whose droppings tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus could be the prelude to "something more serious," and a complete culling of birds in the area is necessary, an infectious disease expert has warned.
//-->Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The bird that was left in a Mong Kok pet shop and whose droppings tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus could be the prelude to "something more serious," and a complete culling of birds in the area is necessary, an infectious disease expert has warned.
Lo Wing-lok said he was worried because the Daurian starling has shown no symptoms of bird flu.
"Asymptomatic H5N1 carriage can be the prelude to something more serious," he said.
However, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department assistant director Thomas Sit Hon-chung said the government has no plan to kill all the birds in the cluster of pet shops on Yuen Po Street, better known as "Bird Street," but will continue to monitor the situation.
A customer had left the infected bird for sale at one of the shops about two weeks ago, and AFCD officers are desperately trying to trace him.
The department had earlier taken a swab of the bird's droppings for tests that turned out to be positive for the virus. Some 300 birds from the same shop have been seized and taken to the department's management center in Sheung Shui for observation.
"They've found one case so far, but other birds in the area may have already been infected," Lo said.
He criticized the authorities for "bowing to pressure" from business establishments by implementing "half- baked" measures against bird flu.
"The government says it's closing down Bird Street until further notice, but shop tenants can still be seen walking in the area without putting on any special clothing. Some have been seen feeding the birds, and this is extremely risky if the birds are infected," Lo said.
"The government should kill all the birds in all the shops on Bird Street once and for all.
"One infected case is enough for the disease to spread. We should not wait for the test results."
He cited previous incidents, including the first bird flu outbreak in the territory in 1997, in which the authorities waited for virus test results before deciding on a mass cull of poultry. Six people died in that outbreak.
Lo urged the government to consider the welfare of the merchants affected by the latest case and offer them compensation.
Michael Chan Chi-wai, a microbiologist at Hong Kong University, disagreed that there should be a mass cull. He said a cull would be justified only if other birds in the area are found to have been infected.
It is not surprising to find a bird with H5N1 that has no symptoms of the disease, he said, adding that symptoms or the lack of them offer insufficient grounds to suspect virus mutation. The question of whether there has been any mutation can only be answered after genetic-sequencing tests have been carried out.
The AFCD said tests on other birds suspected to have been infected have so far been negative.
The department said it is closely monitoring the health of the shop owner who kept the infected starling on Bird Street.
It may consider altering the licensing laws on the sale of birds in pet shops after consultations with the industry.
"Currently, all imported birds are required to carry a medical certificate, and they can only enter the territory after tests have been conducted on them. But there is no such requirement for birds sold at shops," Sit said.
Yuen Po Street remained closed to the public Monday as the authorities implemented measures to prevent a possible spread of the disease. But while workers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in special uniforms carried out thorough cleansing of the area, some shop tenants turned up to feed their birds.
Some of the tenants were seen continuing with their business, dealing with customers through the locked gates.
The government reiterated that the tenants will not be compensated for their loss as the area is closed for health reasons. :tiphat: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_...=47181&sid=14118143&con_type=1&d_str=20070619