#6102
With an avian punctuality usually reserved for the arrival of swallows to Capistrano or the buzzards to Hinckley, Ohio - January once again finds an H5N1 infected bird carcass on the beaches of Hong Kong.
Located adjacent to mainland China - which has a long history of H5N1 outbreaks in poultry and in wild birds – Hong Kong sits at the outflow of the Pearl River to the sea.
Photo Credit- Wikipedia
The Pearl River Delta serves as a catchment area for dozens of tributaries flowing out of the highly industrialized and economically booming Guangdong Province, has been described as one of the more heavily polluted waterways in the world.
Industries, and farms, are known to use these rivers as a convenient disposal system, and what gets dumped upstream flows out to the sea past Lantau island.
In the winter of 2009, we saw a number of decomposed poultry carcasses wash up on the beaches of Hong Kong, presumably carried to the sea via the Pearl River, which flows out of Guangdong Province, China.
Some of my blog coverage of those events included:
Hong Kong Authorities Investigating More Dead Birds
All Eyes On Mainland China
More Concerns Surface Over China
Chinese authorities denied knowledge of any bird flu outbreaks in Guangdong Province and eventually the number of dead birds showing up on shore declined.
Again, over the winter of 2010-2011 we saw multiple reports of badly decomposed poultry carcasses washing up on Hong Kong beaches.
H5N1 Infected Chicken Carcass On Hong Kong Beach
Hong Kong: More H5N1 Infected Chickens Wash Up On Beach
And today, via Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, we get this report of a badly decomposed goose carcass on the beach near Sham Tseng.
While this report doesn’t explicitly state that the carcass washed ashore, that has been the pattern observed in past years.
Goose carcass found in Sham Tseng tests positive for H5N1 virus
Ends/Thursday, January 26, 2012
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (January 26) that a goose carcass found in Sham Tseng was confirmed to be H5N1 positive after laboratory testing.
The goose carcass was found and collected at Anglers' Beach, 13 milestone, Castle Peak Road, Sham Tseng, on January 20. It was highly decomposed when found and required a series of tests before H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed today.
The spokesman said there were no poultry farms within 3 kilometres of where the dead goose was found. AFCD staff have conducted inspections and found no evidence of any backyard poultry being kept there. AFCD will continue to monitor the situation and conduct inspections of the area.
In view of the case, the AFCD has phoned poultry farmers to remind them to strengthen precautionary and biosecurity measures against avian influenza. Letters have been issued to farmers, pet bird shop owners and licence holders of pet poultry and racing pigeons reminding them that proper precautions must be taken.
The spokesman said the department would conduct frequent inspections of poultry farms and the wholesale market to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented. The department will continue its wild bird monitoring and surveillance.
"People should avoid personal contact with wild birds and live poultry and their droppings. They should clean their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with them. The public can call 1823 for follow-up if they come across suspicious sick or dead birds, including the carcasses of wild birds and poultry," the spokesman said.
Admittedly one infected carcass doesn’t tell us much about what may –or may not – be going on upstream from Hong Kong, but it will be interesting to see if – as in years past – more of them continue to show up over the next few months.
