VZCZCXRO2613
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #2222/01 3451044
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101044Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6425
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 3894
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 1765
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 7562
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1376
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH PRIORITY 0829
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 3956
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 002222 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, AIAG, OES/IHA, MED 
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY 
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED EAGR KFLU PINR TBIO HK CH
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK IN HONG KONG, 80,000 
CHICKENS CULLED 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Hong Kong,s Health Secretary announced on 
December 9 the discovery of the H5 virus (Avian Influenza) in 
three dead chickens on a commercial farm within the territory 
near the border with China; test results for the H5N1 variant 
(transmissible to humans) are pending.  Responding to the 
discovery, the HKG put in place a three kilometer quarantine 
ring around the farm and announced the culling of as many as 
90,000 chickens from the two commercial farms and a market 
impacted by the discovery.  The HKG has implemented its 
standard operating procedure for dealing with discovery of H5 
infected poultry, imposing a 21-day ban on the importing of 
live chickens and raising the three-tier alert response level 
one notch from its lowest level.  The Office of the Health 
Secretary has distributed information regarding the case to 
local consulates as part of Hong Kong's standard public 
response strategy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) COMMENT:  Hong Kong has well-established monitoring 
systems and practiced protocols and procedures in place to 
deal with the discovery.  Health and hospital authorities are 
reacting aggressively to contain and identify the source of 
the outbreak.  Hong Kong is nearing peak migratory bird 
arrivals and a large wetland preserve frequented by migratory 
waterfowl is located within the quarantine area.  Despite 
aggressive preventative measures, including poultry 
vaccinations, discovery of the virus during the flu season is 
not unexpected and the response has been professional and 
appropriate.  Front-page press reporting indicates the Hong 
Kong residents have confidence in the government response. 
 
¶3. (U) Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health Dr. York Chow 
announced on December 9 during in televised press conference 
confirmed the H5 or Avian Influenza (AI) virus was present in 
three dead chickens taken from a commercial farm in Yeun 
Long, New Territories, Hong Kong.  Chow stated the testing 
was initiated after the owner reported a large number of dead 
and dying chickens at his commercial farm on December 8. 
Responding to the discovery, Health Authorities raised the 
three-tier AI alert level one step from it's lowest level 
(Alert) to the second level (Serious) and put in place a 
three-kilometer quarantine ring around the infected farm. 
The quarantine area includes a second, smaller commercial 
chicken farm and portions of the Hong Kong Wetland Park, a 
major stopping point for migratory waterfowl. 
 
¶4. (U) Following its standard operating procedure for such 
outbreaks, the HKG also imposed a 21-day ban the importation 
of all live birds -- a disappointing move for many Hong Kong 
residents who traditionally purchase live poultry for holiday 
dinners during the winter solstice and Christmas season, 
according to press reports.  The Agriculture, Fisheries and 
Conservation Department is now culling an estimated 80,000 
chickens at the impacted farms and an additional 10,000 birds 
from the farms which had already been shipped to markets. 
Farmers and traders are receiving HK$30 (US$4.25) in 
compensation for each bird killed.  Although they are 
currently displaying no symptoms, six farm workers at the 
original infection site are being kept at Princess Margaret 
Hospital for observation. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The H5N1 virus is regularly tested for and found in 
up to 25 wild birds in Hong Kong each year and was discovered 
in chicken dropping in three Hong Kong wet markets in June. 
The last confirmed outbreak of the AI virus in live chickens 
in Hong Kong occurred in January 2003 and resulted in the 
culling of over a million birds.  Since that outbreak, the 
HKG has banned the public sale of live waterfowl and taken 
steady steps to drastically reduce the number of live chicken 
vendors and markets stalls; movement to a central 
slaughtering facility will be complete by 2011.  Special 
licensing and registration permits are required to keep live 
chickens in the territory, which has a total live chicken 
population today of about 600,000.  Other risk mitigation 
efforts include limiting purchase and importing of live 
chickens to only Mainland farms inspected and certified by 
the HKG and widespread use of flu vaccinations to ensure 
birds remain healthy.  Front page press reporting indicates 
 
HONG KONG 00002222  002 OF 002 
 
 
the Hong Kong public are taking the announcement and the HKG 
actions in stride and have confidence in the Health 
Department's response. 
DONOVAN