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More than a week after the discovery of 3 additional Hong Kong live markets affected by the H5N1 bird flu virus, there have still been no reported human cases.
A good sign, by any measure.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Health & Food, Dr. York Chow, tells us that the risk to humans from this outbreak is low - thanks to the city's safeguards against the disease.
If no human cases arise by next Wednesday, he is confident that human spread will have been avoided.
This from News.gov.hk
June 18, 2008
Avian flu
Human bird-flu threat low: Dr York Chow
The risk of human cases of avian influenza in Hong Kong is low thanks to the city's safeguards against the disease. This was the message from Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow today in response to the bird flu outbreak at a Guangzhou duck farm.
He said the outbreak involves only one farm which is far from Hong Kong. However, as there is a poultry farm supplying Hong Kong within 13km of the outbreak, exports from the facility were suspended for three weeks yesterday.
Dr Chow said Hong Kong's surveillance system and vigilance greatly hinders the spread of bird flu to humans, so the risk posed to the city by the Guangdong outbreak is low.
Mainland authorities are examining whether there has been any changes to the virus or the ducks' immunity.
"If we do not find any human cases by the end of next Wednesday we will be quite confident there is no human spread," Dr Chow said.
"We are more worried about the subsequent arrangement, whether the existing chickens in the farms and those coming into the market will pose a threat. If that is the case I think we have to have more stringent measures for the markets so we can safeguard poultry workers as well as the public."
He said discussions with the trade about daily cleaning and culling at Hong Kong's markets are ongoing, adding retailers' calls for compensation for ceasing business will be studied.
