]]>The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has put another Saskatchewan chicken farm under quarantine, but says the move is only a precautionary measure.
The small farm affected by the decision on Friday is less than three kilometres away from Pedigree Poultry, a much larger operation just north of Regina, where officials confirmed on Thursday they had found a strain of avian influenza.
The CFIA said the quarantine measures are standard given the close proximity of the two farms. It said the 20 chickens tested on what the agency calls a "small backyard operation" have shown no signs of disease.
More than 50,000 chickens at the Pedigree Poultry operation near Regina Beach were to be killed and all equipment thoroughly sanitized.
]]>An Indonesian man died of bird flu after slaughtering an infected chicken, a local health official said Thursday, lifting the number of people killed by the virus worldwide to 200.
The 33-year-old plantation worker from Sumatra province had been hospitalized for almost 10 days with a high fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.
It looked as if he was going to recover, but his condition suddenly deteriorated and he died Thursday, said Arman Zubair, an official at the Health Ministry's monitoring post for bird flu.
Tests confirmed he had the virulent H5N1 strain of the illness.
Before the death of the Sumatra man, who was apparently preparing the infected chicken for a meal, 199 people had died out of 327 known infections worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
]]>The Government has imposed precautionary measures after the confirmation of an avian influenza outbreak at a Panyu farm in Guangdong. They include the 21-day import suspension of live poultry, birds, day-old chicks, poultry eggs, and chilled and frozen meat from farms within 24 kilometres of the outbreak location.
As the case involves waterfowl, the Government will also suspend duck, goose and goose egg imports from Guangdong for one week.
Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow said tonight no human bird flu infection has been reported, adding that the outbreak is an isolated case. He said the Government will liaise closely with Mainland authorities and both sides have agreed to hold daily exchanges on the latest situation.
The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department, in conjunction with Mainland authorities, will inspect registered farms supplying live chickens to Hong Kong. Other government departments and Mainland authorities will enhance inspections to detect any illegal importation of poultry. Inspection and surveillance of hygiene conditions at poultry farms, and wholesale and retail markets will also be enhanced.
The arrangement announced last week to lift the chicken supply ceiling will be withdrawn.
Dr Chow said as Hong Kong and Guangdong are very close people should remain vigilant to reduce the risk of avian influenza.
