HK May Ban Slaughter of Poultry by Shopkeepers to prevent Bird Flu Pandemic

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 29 Nov 2004 - 9:00 PDT

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Hong Kong authorities may ban the slaughtering of poultry by retailers in a bid to prevent a bird (avian) flu pandemic. The WHO has warned that the next global pandemic may come from a mutated bird flu virus.

Shopkeepers have tried to resist laws that prohibit them from slaughtering poultry in front of their customers.

So fat this year 32 people have died from bird flu in Thailand and Vietnam. Poultry stocks have been slaughtered in large numbers to try to stem the spread.

Hong Kong Health Minister, York Chow, said "The broad direction for the government is to separate humans from chickens. And the announcement next month will be about how we are going to do that."

It is common for shoppers in Hong Kong to have their poultry slaughtered in front of them (they like their food fresh). All cases of humans getting infected with the bird flu virus have been when there was close contact with live, infected animals.

WHO experts believe a bird flu pandemic is coming. They no longer talk about whether there is going to be one, they talk about 'when' one will start and 'where'. They say that if the virus were to infect a pig, it could then mutate much more easily and become a human-to-human spreading disease. Humans have no immunity to the bird flu virus. Up to 30% of humans worldwide could become infected when the pandemic appears, say experts.

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