AVIAN INFLUENZA - CHINA (HONG KONG) (03)

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AVIAN INFLUENZA - CHINA (HONG KONG) (03)

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[see also:

Avian influenza - China (Hong Kong) (02) 20020206.3492]

 

Sat 09 Feb 2002

Marianne Hopp <mhopp

Source: WHO Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response (CSR), filed

08

Feb 2002 [edited]

<http://www.who.int/disease-outbreak-news/n2002/february/8february2002.html>

 

 

 

Isolation of influenza A(H5) viruses in poultry in Hong Kong (SAR)

-

There has been a recent increase in the number of deaths of poultry in a

retail poultry market, in one consignment in a wholesale chicken market

and

in 2 local chicken farms in Hong Kong SAR [special Administrative Region

of

China]. Preliminary tests on some samples were positive for influenza

A(H5)

viruses.

 

As a result, the Government of Hong Kong SAR has slaughtered all

chickens

in the affected retail market, the affected consignment and the 2

affected

local farms. An additional 23 farms were quarantined.

 

No human cases of influenza-like illness related to this outbreak have

been

detected. WHO's human influenza surveillance system in Hong Kong SAR is

monitoring the situation closely.

 

--

ProMED-mail

promed

 

[Professor Shortridge in Hong Kong SAR has been reported previously (see

references above) as stating that the virus responsible for this

outbreak

is related to the Guangdong goose family of avian influenza A viruses

(of

H5N1 serotype), but that it is distinct from the Guangdong virus of 1996

-

the parent of the 1997 strain. Reassortment of an H5N1 avian influenza

virus A produced the 1997 strain which was able to jump the species

barrier

and as a consequence 18 people were infected, 6 of them fatally.

Professor

Shortridge has stated that the current outbreak in poultry is not a

human

health concern, but there is a need for very close surveillance.

Fortunately, the 1997 H5N1 virus was not capable of person-to-person

transmission and no epidemic occurred in the human population. - Mod.CP

 

As it seems from this updated CSR release, no further spread of the

Avian

Influenza A(H5) virus has been reported since ProMED's posting

20020206.3492 of 06 Feb 2002. The last official press release on the

current AI outbreak in SAR was published there by the Department for the

Environment and Food on 04 Feb 2002. " Highly pathogenic avian influenza "

is

one of the 15 diseases included in List A according to the International

Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

These

are " Transmissible diseases that have the potential for very serious and

rapid spread, irrespective of national borders, that are of serious

socio-economic or public health consequence and that are of major

importance in the international trade of animals and animal products " . -

Mod.AS]

..................cp/pg/lm

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