Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Re: Hong Kong Suspected Cases
Source: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=67295&sid=19370045&con_type=1
Bird flu cleaner free of killer virus
Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Bird flu cleaner free of killer virus
Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A 54-year-old man hired to clean one of the markets at the center of the latest bird flu outbreak has come down with influenza - but has tested negative for the deadly H5N1 virus.
He had been employed by a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department contractor to clean up the Po On Road wet market in Sham Shui Po where the H5N1 virus was found in three of the nine stalls on June 7.
The man was transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital from Caritas Medical Centre yesterday morning suffering from a fever and cough.
He tested positive for the human influenza B strain, but negative for H5N1.
None of his family had shown symptoms of flu up until last night.
He is the second patient to come down with flu in the latest outbreak. Last Friday a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department officer was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital with flu symptoms. He also tested negative for H5N1.
Hong Kong University virologist Michael Chan Chi-wai said the risk of the influenza B virus mutating into H5N1 was extremely small.
"They are two completely different types of virus," he said, adding that H5N1, a subtype of influenza A, will not cross over with influenza B.
It is also hard for the avian strain of H5N1 to jump the barrier to infect humans, he said, adding catching influenza during the peak season is common and that the public need not worry.
At a special meeting at the Legislative Council yesterday, Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok said test results on the infected chickens from Sham Shui Po showed they all came from the same source.
No genetic mutation has been found. He said the government will make a decision this week on whether to slaughter chickens in local farms.
Slaughtering them will alleviate the problem of overcrowding at local chicken farms since the sale of fresh chickens was banned on Wednesday.
Chow said a ban on traders keeping live chickens overnight may be enforced through legislative means and would apply to both wet market stalls and fresh provision shops.
He insisted the overnight ban was the most effective measure to solve the bird flu problem, but no decision could be made at this stage.
"We have to find a balance between our Chinese culinary tradition of eating fresh chicken and the health concerns over a bird flu outbreak," he said.
However, more than 10 industry representatives at the panel meeting insisted the overnight ban would seriously affect their livelihood.
Outside Legco, more than 100 traders waved banners and chanted slogans to protest against the proposed ban and called on the government to immediately compensate them.
Source: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=67295&sid=19370045&con_type=1
Bird flu cleaner free of killer virus
Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Bird flu cleaner free of killer virus
Carol Chung
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A 54-year-old man hired to clean one of the markets at the center of the latest bird flu outbreak has come down with influenza - but has tested negative for the deadly H5N1 virus.
He had been employed by a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department contractor to clean up the Po On Road wet market in Sham Shui Po where the H5N1 virus was found in three of the nine stalls on June 7.
The man was transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital from Caritas Medical Centre yesterday morning suffering from a fever and cough.
He tested positive for the human influenza B strain, but negative for H5N1.
None of his family had shown symptoms of flu up until last night.
He is the second patient to come down with flu in the latest outbreak. Last Friday a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department officer was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital with flu symptoms. He also tested negative for H5N1.
Hong Kong University virologist Michael Chan Chi-wai said the risk of the influenza B virus mutating into H5N1 was extremely small.
"They are two completely different types of virus," he said, adding that H5N1, a subtype of influenza A, will not cross over with influenza B.
It is also hard for the avian strain of H5N1 to jump the barrier to infect humans, he said, adding catching influenza during the peak season is common and that the public need not worry.
At a special meeting at the Legislative Council yesterday, Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok said test results on the infected chickens from Sham Shui Po showed they all came from the same source.
No genetic mutation has been found. He said the government will make a decision this week on whether to slaughter chickens in local farms.
Slaughtering them will alleviate the problem of overcrowding at local chicken farms since the sale of fresh chickens was banned on Wednesday.
Chow said a ban on traders keeping live chickens overnight may be enforced through legislative means and would apply to both wet market stalls and fresh provision shops.
He insisted the overnight ban was the most effective measure to solve the bird flu problem, but no decision could be made at this stage.
"We have to find a balance between our Chinese culinary tradition of eating fresh chicken and the health concerns over a bird flu outbreak," he said.
However, more than 10 industry representatives at the panel meeting insisted the overnight ban would seriously affect their livelihood.
Outside Legco, more than 100 traders waved banners and chanted slogans to protest against the proposed ban and called on the government to immediately compensate them.
AGE_NEWS--><SCRIPT language=javascript src="/js/tooltip/wz_tooltip.js"></SCRIPT> [Ming Pao - bird flu wreaked havoc again, parents see their young children into a panic Dayton fever bird arch. Tung Tau Estate, Wong Tai Sin Bodong floor, a flat, one male and two female children (6 months to 4 years old,) has recently developed a high fever does not apply, their families worry about their suffering from infectious diseases and conditions turns bad, 5 o'clock yesterday morning alarm For help.