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Following the evaluation of a one-year trial programme on selected chicken
farms, the AFCD implemented a region-wide H5 vaccination and surveillance
programme for all chicken farms in Hong Kong in June as a supplementary
measure against the recurrence of avian influenza. During the year, an
agreement was reached with the Mainland authorities on the vaccination
of chickens for export to Hong Kong to ensure similar levels of protection
are provided to both imported Mainland chickens and locally produced chickens.
By mid-January 2004, all birds available in the local market will have
been vaccinated against H5 avian influenza. The need for continuous vaccination
of chickens will be closely monitored.
During the year, the AFCD continued to upgrade the
biosecurity standards at local farms to prevent the introduction of the
virus there. By the end of April, 36 biosecurity measures had been implemented
on all chicken farms. These included the requirements for farmers to install
birdproofing facilities in their chicken sheds and disinfecting baths
or other disinfecting equipment at their farm gates, segregate the chicken
production area from the areas for delivery of feed and its storage, separate
different batches of chickens, and designate special areas for loading
chickens for transport to market. An additional measure requiring a 500-metre
separation for new farms was also introduced. These measures are monitored
regularly by the AFCD.
Since March, in order to reduce the virus load in
retail markets, the FEHD has designated two 'rest days' every month (from
once a month previously) at live poultry retail outlets. On these days,
all trading in live poultry is temporarily suspended to facilitate thorough
cleansing and disinfection of the outlets. Prior to the 'rest days', all
live poultry in the retail outlets has to be slaughtered.
With a view to minimising the risk of an avian flu
virus spreading on premises selling live poultry, the department prescribed
additional conditions for operators of fresh provision shops and market
stalls selling live poultry. These conditions require the operators to
surrender to the department for disposal any dead poultry and live poultry
infected with disease, and to remove live poultry to another cage for
temporary storage pending the cleansing and disinfection of the cages
where the live poultry was originally kept.
In addition to the continuing H5 surveillance programme
covering local chicken farms, imported chickens, the wholesale market
and retail outlets, the AFCD has extended its surveillance to wild birds,
waterfowl in recreational parks and pet birds on sale in the market. This
has further strengthened its capability to detect the presence of any
H5 viruses in the environment and the possible reassortment of the viruses,
and enables appropriate and timely measures to be taken. |
