HK attaches great importance to biosecurity of local chicken farms

HONG KONG, March 5 (Chinese media) -- Hong Kong Secretary

for Food and Health York Chow Thursday said that Hong Kong should continue to

stay on full alert and stringently implement various preventive measures against

avian influenza which posed an imminent threat to the world community.

"To help achieve such a task, the biosecurity

measures of local chicken farms will be vital to minimize the risk of avian

influenza," Chow said.

He was commenting on the Epidemiology Report of the

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on the outbreak of

highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 last December in a chicken farm in Yuen

Long in the New Territories.

The Food and Health Bureau set up the Investigation

Group on Epidemiological Study following the outbreak. The group released the

report on Thursday and made a number of recommendations to further enhance the

biosecurity measures of local farms to guard against avian influenza.

Chow said the findings of the report show that

stringent biosecurity measures play a crucial role in preventing outbreaks of

avian influenza in local farms.

He noted the report made a number of recommendations

for improving the biosecurity standards and measures of local farms, such as

stepping up inspection on farms and blood tests on chickens to ensure the health

of chickens and reduce the chance of farm workers being infected with avian

influenza.

He added that the effective implementation of these

new measures would hinge on the joint efforts by the chicken farmers and the

government which could enhance the farms' capability in safeguarding against

avian influenza.

In addition, the government will carry out preventive

measures to rigorously guard against avian influenza at various levels,

including the import of live chickens, wholesale market and retail outlets, with

a view to protecting public health.