No cause for alarm over H5N1 case

Laboratory tests results on the influenza A H5N1 virus found in a 33-year-old man and his nine-year-old son  who had visited their relatives in Fujian recently show that the virus genes were purely avian in origin.

The father died after returning to Hong Kong.  

The Department of Health believes that the man did not contract the virus in Hong Kong after analysing the incubation period of the virus and the date on which he developed pneumonia symptoms.

Asking the public to keep calm, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong stressed that the Government has stepped up its surveillance system and will enhance liaison with Mainland authorities on ways to reduce the risk of the outbreak of infectious deseases.

The Department of Health advises people to take precautionary measures to build bodily resistence to infections.

They should:

* have a proper diet with adequate exercise and rest;

* maintain good ventilation to avoid the spread of respiratory tract infection;

* should seek medical consultations promptly if they develop influenza-like symptoms; and,

* avoid direct contact with poultry and birds, and regularly wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.

The Government believes that implementing biosecurity measures is an integral part of the strategy to reduce the risk of an avian flu outbreak.

Dr Yeoh said the trade has been co-operative, but he expects to see more sporadic cases of avian flu as the virus is endemic here.

To minimise the risk, he said it is necessary to implement a multi-pronged strategy, comprising heightened farm biosecurity, stringent hygienic practices and an effective surveillance system.

Stringent hygienic practices include implementing cleaning days in wholesale and retail markets.

On the Rest Day, all market poultry stalls and fresh provision shops selling live poultry must suspend business and carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection of their premises.

All live poultry remaining in their stalls or shops must be slaughtered before the Rest Day, and no live poultry will be on sale in markets on the Rest Day.

Food & Environmental Hygiene Department officers will inspect each poultry outlet on the Rest Day, and failure to comply with Rest Day conditions will see an immediate cancellation of licences or termination of market stall tenancy.

The Rest Day will reduce the overall virus load and help break the cycle of infection in all market stalls and fresh provision shops.

Starting in March, poultry retail outlets will have an additional rest day, usually the 10th of the month, in addition to the one on the 25th.