Hong Kong has remained avian influenza free thanks to an intense and successful surveillance and control programme, unrivalled in the region, experts say.

This effectively spared Hong Kong from encountering a poultry outbreak when quite a number of neighbouring countries fell prey to this highly pathogenic virus.

In a meeting today, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong solicited views on further control and prevention measures that need to be implemented so Hong Kong can continue to remain avian flu free.

Our target: zero infection

Dr Yeoh said: "Recent outbreaks in the region signal that avian influenza has become endemic and that it is most likely to return next year and beyond. For the sake of protecting our public health, we should try our utmost to reduce the risk of avian influenza occurring in Hong Kong and aim at zero infection for our farms and the public as far as possible.

"We learned from past experience that our defence line is long and vulnerable for possible viral attacks. The constructive comments and suggestions put forth by the experts today are most valuable references to our improving the monitoring system."

The meeting discussed some broad principles on bird flu risk management, including:

* imposition of more stringent biosecurity measures to achieve and maintain zero transmission of H5 virus in the farms;

* reducing as much as possible contact between people and live poultry in vulnerable spots such as wholesale and retail markets and other retail outlets;

* resumption of chilled and frozen poultry meat from approved Mainland farms given that the risk of human infection from contaminated meat would be relatively lower when compared to live poultry, subject to further refinement of import regulatory controls and the prevailing outbreak situation in the Mainland; and,

* Importation of fertilised eggs and development of local hatcheries to tie over the period during which there would be no importation of day-old chicken.

Trade, public will be consulted

Dr Yeoh reassured that the Government will take into account local circumstances and specific issues of concern when developing the various implementation programmes.

"We will consult the trade and the public once we have worked out the details," he said.

The six experts were: HK University Professor Malik Peiris, Assistant Professor Leo Poon, Professor Ma Ching-yung and Dr Frederick Leung; Chinese University Professor John Tam; and, Peter Wong of the World Poultry Science Association's Hong Kong branch.