Bird flu scare shuts down popular songbird garden in Hong Kong for 21 days - HP H5N6 confirmed by OIE

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Bird flu scare shuts down popular songbird garden in Hong Kong for 21 days
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PUBLISHED : Friday, 13 April, 2018, 6:13pm
UPDATED : Friday, 13 April, 2018, 6:52pm
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A bird flu scare in Hong Kong has silenced the repertoire of caged tunes enthusiasts are accustomed to hearing at the popular Yuen Po Street Bird Garden in Mong Kok, as authorities on Friday closed down the area for 21 days and declared it an infection risk.

A cleansing operation is under way, after a swab sample from a hill myna sold at a pet shop was found to contain the H5 virus, a strain of bird flu that can be transmitted to humans.

The sample was collected on April 7 for laboratory tests under a routine surveillance programme by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, a spokesman said.
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http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2141657/bird-flu-scare-shuts-down-popular-songbird-garden

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Highly pathogenic influenza A viruses (infection with) (non-poultry including wild birds), Hong Kong (SAR - PRC)

Information received on 16/04/2018 from Dr Thomas Sit, Chief Veterinary Officer / Assistant Director (Inspection & Quarantine), Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Hong Kong , Hong Kong (SAR - PRC)

Summary Report type Immediate notification Date of start of the event 07/04/2018 Date of confirmation of the event 12/04/2018 Report date 15/04/2018 Date submitted to OIE 16/04/2018 Reason for notification Recurrence of a listed disease Date of previous occurrence 04/04/2018 Manifestation of disease Sub-clinical infection Causal agent Highly pathogenic influenza A virus Serotype H5N6 Nature of diagnosis Laboratory (advanced) This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks (1)

Outbreak 1 Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, Mong Kok, Yau Tsim Mong District, Hong Kong Date of start of the outbreak 07/04/2018 Outbreak status Continuing (or date resolved not provided) Epidemiological unit Other Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Birds 2834 1 0 2834 0 Affected population A sample collected from a bird cage holding Hill Mynas in a pet bird shop on 7 April 2018 tested positive for H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

Summary of outbreaks Total outbreaks: 1 Total animals affected Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Birds 2834 1 0 2834 0 Outbreak statistics Species Apparent morbidity rate Apparent mortality rate Apparent case fatality rate Proportion susceptible animals lost* Birds 0.04% 0.00% 0.00% 100.00% *Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter

Epidemiology Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection Unknown or inconclusive Epidemiological comments An avian influenza intensive surveillance system is in place for all poultry farms, poultry markets, and pet bird shops in Hong Kong. A sample collected from a pet bird shop during routine surveillance on 7 April 2018 tested positive for H5N6 highly pathogenic influenza A virus. A total of 2,834 pet birds were removed from the shop, culled and disposed of on 13 April 2018. The Yuen Po Street Bird Garden where the pet bird shop was located will be closed for 21 days. No spread of disease is evident. Neither the Hong Kong Wetland Park nor Mai Po Nature Reserve nor any poultry farms are located within three kilometres of the outbreak location.

Control measures Measures applied Movement control inside the country Surveillance outside containment and/or protection zone Surveillance within containment and/or protection zone Screening Official disposal of carcasses, by-products and waste Stamping out Zoning Disinfection Vaccination permitted (if a vaccine exists) No treatment of affected animals Measures to be applied No other measures

Diagnostic test results Laboratory name and type Species Test Test date Result Tai Lung Veterinary Laboratory, Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (National laboratory) Birds real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) 12/04/2018 Positive Tai Lung Veterinary Laboratory, Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (National laboratory) Birds virus isolation 12/04/2018 Positive Centre of Influenza Research, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (Regional Reference Laboratory) Birds gene sequencing Pending National Influenza Centre, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health (Regional Reference Laboratory) Birds gene sequencing Pending

Future Reporting The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

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http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Reviewreport/Review?page_refer=MapFullEventReport&reportid=26434