POULTRY BAN IN WAKE OF SHENZHEN AI CASE

UNCLAS HONG KONG 002508 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/ANP AND INR/EAP STATE FOR EAP/EX, EAP/EP TWANG, EAP/CM KBENNETT, GWARD STATE FOR G/AIAG JLANGE, HFOSTER, RFENDRICK STATE FOR M/MED ADN M/MEDEX PETER WOOD HHS FOR OGHA -- STEIGER, ELVANDER, BHAT BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC USDA FOR DU/US LAMBERT BEIJING FOR DSELIGSOHN, CSHAPIRO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMED ECON KSTH TBIO KFLU EAGR HK CH SUBJECT: POULTRY BAN IN WAKE OF SHENZHEN AI CASE CONFIRMATION REF: Hong Kong 2469 ¶1. On June 15, the PRC Ministry of Health notified Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) that it had confirmed a human case of avian influenza (AI) in Shenzhen. Reftel reported the details of this case, which involved a truck driver hospitalized on June 3. ¶2. Secretary for Health, Welfare, and Food, Dr. York Chow said that in view of the human case, Hong Kong would suspend the import of live poultry and birds from the mainland beginning June 16. Chilled and frozen poultry imports from the mainland will not be affected. The ban will be lifted after three weeks so long as no further outbreaks of AI occur in humans or in chicken farms in Guangdong Province and Shenzhen. ¶3. Chow said that mainland authorities had made a preliminary assessment that before the Shenzhen patient showed flu symptoms, he had paid a number of visits to a wet market that sells live chickens. It was this direct connection to live poultry that gave rise to the import ban, he explained. ¶4. Hong Kong is also responding to the Shenzhen case with a series of surveillance and public education measures. This includes enhanced reporting of symptoms by public hospitals, stepped-up inspection of poultry imports and local poultry farms, greater vigilance by Customs with regard to illegal imports of poultry into Hong Kong, and more public interest announcements about preventing the spread of AI. CUNNINGHAM