Poultry ban unchanged: Health chief

December 12, 2013

A ban on poultry imports from certain farms in Shenzen will not be widened, as no direct relationship has been found between H7N9-positive samples in Shenzhen and Hong Kong infection cases, Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man says.
 
Speaking to reporters today, Dr Ko said the Government was notified that three specimens from two Shenzhen live poultry markets tested positive for the virus, supporting expert opinions that some live poultry in Shenzhen have already been infected.
 
However, there is no conclusive evidence those poultry could spread the disease to people, nor is there evidence the disease can transform to the point where it can sustainably be transmitted among people, he added.
 
"Up to this stage, there is no concrete evidence to substantiate the direct relationship between these positive specimens and the source of infection of the two human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hong Kong," he said, explaining the ban would neither be lifted nor expanded at this time.