Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ5: Import of chickens

Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li Wah-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (March 5):

Question :

It has been reported that over the past two years, five consignments with a total number of around 10 000 live chickens from the Mainland were denied import into Hong Kong because some of the relevant blood samples taken at entry points from the live chickens had reacted positively to H5 avian flu virus tests. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the details of these cases;

(b) whether it has subsequently discussed with the relevant Mainland authorities ways to prevent the import of chickens infected with avian flu virus into Hong Kong; if so, of the results of the discussions; if not, the reasons for that;

(c) whether it knows if the Mainland authorities concerned consequently ordered the temporary suspension of the export of chickens from the farms concerned and specified the length of such moratorium; if so, of the details, the authorities from which such farms shall obtain approvals for resuming the export of chickens, and the factors to be considered by the authorities before granting approvals;

(d) whether, in the future, following the denial of the import of chickens, it will make immediate announcements of the number of chickens involved and the reasons for denial; if so, of the arrangements concerned; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(e) whether the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department found any chickens infected with H5 avian flu virus when it carried out inspections on Mainland farms last year; if so, of the follow-up measures it has taken?

Reply:

(a) & (b) To minimise the risk of outbreaks of H5 avian flu, the Government has put in place a comprehensive avian flu surveillance and inspection system. In respect of imported chickens, they must originate from farms registered with the Inspection and Quarantine Bureau in the Mainland. Before the chickens are supplied to Hong Kong, they should be quarantined for five days and tested free of antibodies to H5 avian influenza virus. Upon entry into Hong Kong, imported chickens will need to go through the blood tests for H5 antibodies conducted by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). At the Man Kam To Control Point, 14 blood samples are taken from each consignment of imported chickens (normally each consignment comprises approximately 2,500 chickens) to test for the presence of H5 antibodies. All 14 blood samples must show negative results in the blood test before the concerned consignment can be released to the market.

In 2001 and 2002, Hong Kong imported about 56 million live chickens from the Mainland. Of these, five consignments of about 9,600 live chickens were returned to the Mainland in accordance with agreed procedures because some of the blood samples failed to pass the test for H5 antibodies and therefore did not comply with Hong Kong's import inspection and quarantine requirements. The chickens of these consignments were in good health showing no clinical signs of avian flu or abnormal mortality. FEHD had informed the relevant Mainland inspection and quarantine authority, requesting them to investigate and take follow-up actions in respect of the chicken farms concerned and suspend them from exporting live chickens to Hong Kong.

(c) If H5 antibodies are found in imported chickens, the Mainland chicken farms in question will be suspended from exporting live chickens to Hong Kong. The relevant Mainland authority will investigate the farms in respect of their overall hygiene conditions, husbandry management, and the health condition of chickens, and take follow-up actions. Upon completion of the investigation, the Mainland authority will provide FEHD with the investigation results and the proposed improvement measures. After thorough and comprehensive study, if the farms satisfy our import quarantine requirements, FEHD will decide whether to allow them to resume exporting chickens to Hong Kong on a trial basis.

(d) In accordance with existing inspection and quarantine procedures, imported live chickens are tested for H5 antibodies at the import control point. The whole consignment will not be released for sale until blood test results are confirmed negative. As the chickens of the five consignments mentioned in parts (a) and (b) of the reply had been returned to the Mainland and our objective is to minimise the risk of recurrence of avian influenza outbreaks, our usual practice is that we do not make immediate announcements of these isolated events.

(e) Since the launching of the mainland farm inspection programme last year, FEHD officers have not found any chickens reared in the Mainland exporting farms infected with H5 virus during inspections. If infection is detected, we will take the follow-up actions as described in the reply in part (c).

End/Wednesday, March 5, 2003
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