Press Releases
Government culls all live poultry in retail markets
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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