, Research Paper

Bird Flu Crisis in Hong Kong

Introduction

Make you cognize how many poulets do we devour every twenty-four hours? Three 1000, five 1000 or more? We demand about more than ten 1000 poulets daily. What a large figure! We can see that poulets are really of import to Chinese society. Chickens are ever devoted to God and served in dinners to observe traditional festivals. Without poulets, it will do incommodiousness to Hong Kong people, particularly during Lunar New Year. Unfortunately, Hong Kong people has merely encountered this state of affairs. Because of the eruption of bird grippe, all poulets had to be removed from Hong Kong. In this study, we would wish to speak about the subject Bird Flu Crisis In Hong Kong. We will give a brief debut of the bird grippe virus H5N1, analyse the short-run and long-run effects of the grippe in Hong Kong and see what Hong Kong have learned from this incident.

What is Influenza A ( H5N1 ) ?

There are three types of grippe, designated A, B and C. Influenza B and C seldom cause local eruption of grippe but non the grippe A. It is really of import to all world as this is the type of virus that has caused global pandemics. And H5N1 belongs to the vision of grippe A.

What is H5N1? H stands for hemagglutinin ( HA ) , which is a viral protein. It will do the ruddy blood cells to lodge together. And N is the viral protein excessively, which is called neuraminidase ( NA ) . In an influenza virion, there are five 100 spikes lodging out from its lipid envelope in which 80 % of the spikes are HA and 20 % NA. HA helps the virion acquire into host cells and NA helps the offspring virions to acquire out. The two virions together are responsible for the viruses ability to do the disease. ( Cited from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.synapse.ndirect.co.uk )

Bird grippe virus H5N1 was foremost stray signifier birds in South Africa in 1961. Within these 37 old ages, the virus seemed to vanish in the universe. But with no warning given in progress, the virus reappeared last twelvemonth in May and caused 6 deceases in Hong Kong.

Peoples who are infected by the virus H5N1 would hold the characteristic symptoms including a rapid development of febrility and icinesss, concern, sore pharynx, musculus strivings and dry cough. These symptoms would get down after the incubation period of 1 to 4 yearss. ( Lee, Stella ) .

Short-run effects of bird grippe crisis

1. Pressure on infirmaries

The sudden eruption of H5N1 brought about concerns and frights to Hong Kong people. We know really small about the virus so people enduring signifier winter colds crowded the exigency services of different infirmaries. This increased the load of the exigency services.

The Department of Health was to fault because if failed to inform the populace of the symptoms of bird flu infection. It should hold told the differences between and cold and grippe through Television and wireless proclamations. Besides all authorities clinics should hold been unfastened on Sundays and public vacations so that people could travel at that place for blood testing.

2. Import prohibition and mass slaughter of poulets

Since H5N1 was found in the blood samples of some of the poulets, all poulets had to be removed from Hong Kong to forestall the spread of the disease. On 24 December 1997, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department ( AFD ) banned all poulet imports from the mainland. And on 29th of the same month, the AFD started to butcher all the poulets in local domestic fowl farms and market stables.

It was criticised that the mass slaughter was excessively late because H5N1 had already killed 2 individuals. Since the AFD overlooked the troubles of the mass slaughter, the proposed 24-hour operation eventually turned out to be a 3-day 1. The AFD claimed that their staff had no experience in butchering and therefore made the slaughter procedure much more clip consuming.

In the slaughter procedure, poulets are gassed to decease by utilizing C dioxide ( CO2 ) . Due to the deficiency of CO2 in Hong Kong, gassed-to-death procedure was inefficient. In add-on, some slaughtered domestic fowl was non disposed on the topographic point. Therefore poulets were left alive and they ran off with the disease. Though the AFD made a batch of errors in the slaughtering procedure, the slaughter has been successful. Since so, new instances have no longer reported.

3. Fiscal loss of domestic fowl husbandmans, jobbers and retail merchants

Domestic fowl husbandmans and sellers suffered a great loss in the slaughtering. On one manus, they lost all their farm animal. On the other manus, they had to cover the rental and rewards disbursals even though they could no longer run their concerns. They lost their agencies of support. If the authorities paid no compensation for them, they might travel bankruptcy.

To alleviate the load of the victims of the slaughter, the authorities spent $ 770 million to counterbalance for the domestic fowl industry. This included cost of poulets killed, rent waived and hyperbole payments. However, many retail merchants dissatisfied with the compensation strategy.

We think that the compensation program has already taken attention of those straight affected by the slaughtering. The compensation is public money so it must be used carefully. Outbreak of H5N1 is non the mistake of Hong Kong authorities and it has taken the right action of butchering all poulets. Therefore domestic fowl husbandmans and sellers should non switch the whole load to the authorities.

4. Tourism industry hit by grippe frights

Bird grippe panic further hit the fighting touristry industry. Tourists from all over the universe did non make bold to see Hong Kong. Officials of Cathay Pacific Airline in Taiwan said that 15 % ( about 25 000 tickets ) of the two-for-one tickets had been refunded. Cancellation had besides come from all other topographic points. ( Poole, Olive ) . In reassure tourers, an updated information sheet was released on 20th January 1998 by the Department of Health and was circulated through authorities abroad offices. ( Cited from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.info.gov.hk/dh/new/index.htm )

However it was a spot late to let go of the information sheet in January. The Department of Health should hold it ready early in December and made adequate transcripts so that they can be delivered at the boundary line cheque points. Besides the Hong Kong Tourist Association should direct transcripts to all over the universe, claiming that Hong Kong is a safe topographic point to see.

5. Want of fresh poulets for 6 hebdomads

After taking all the unrecorded poulets form Hong Kong, would there still be the supply of poulets or chicken dishes? Our group did a study two hebdomads after the slaughter so as to see if the concern of the market stables and the nutrient premises were affected.

We walked about 29 poulet stables and most of them were closed. Merely one in Chi Fu shifted to sell veggies.

Market Stalls ( District ) 17 January 1998 21 February 1998 Remarks

Chi Fu *1 Shifted to sell veggies

Pokfulam *2

Western District *3

Sheung Wan *6

Wan Chai *10

Shatin *6

Shatin *1

We inspected 23 supermarkets and convenient shops. Frozen poulets were still for sale in 14 of them while 8 shops were still selling ready-to-serve poulet bites. We checked the bundles of poulets and all frozen poulets were from USA, Denmark or Brazil.

Supermarkets Frozen poulets? Ready-to-serve poulet bite

Park n *6

Wellcome *7

Dai Cheong *1

Tung Tai *1

Seven Eleven *6

All right *2

What about the nutrient premises? We visited wholly 13 eating houses among 9 were Chinese and the others supplied foreign nutrients. All the Chinese eating houses no longer supplied poulets. 5 of them used pigeons as replacements while the others used seafood and veggies. The other 4 eating houses, supplying Korean, Thai or Vietnamese nutrient still supplied lily-livered dishes.

Types of eating houses Chicken dishes Substitutes

Chinese *9 Pigeons ( 5 ) / Vegetables & A ; Seafood ( 4 )

Thai *1

Korean *2

Vietnamese *1

Our last mark was fast nutrient stores. 8 out of 9 were still selling ready-to-serve poulet bites. 3 of them even claimed that their poulets were from USA, non from the mainland. Merely one i.e. Delifrance replaced poulets with Meleagris gallopavos.

Fast Food Shops Ready-to-serve poulet bite

McDonald s

Hardee s

Maxim s

Wendy

Caf de Coral

Fairwood

KFC

Delifrance

Oliver s Supersandwich

It seems that the want of poulets had small consequence on the concern of different nutrient premises. They merely replaced fresh poulets with pigeons, veggies, seafood or frozen poulets. However it did caused incommodiousness to Hong Kong people during the Lunar New Year. We interviewed a few homemakers during Chinese New Year. They said it was a commiseration to hold no poulets in such an of import festival. They all used seafood and roasted porc as replacements. They hoped that the supply of poulets would be resumed really shortly.

6. Deficit of fresh poulets leads to high monetary value

Our pre-ban demand for poulets was 100 000 birds P

er twenty-four hours but on 7th February 1998, merely 35 000 poulets were imported. Due to the limited supply, fresh poulets were sold out in hours, despite monetary values ( about $ 100 each ) were about twice the pre-ban monetary values. ( Ng Kang-Chung ) . Even though the figure of imported poulets are now bit by bit increasing, it is still non plenty to run into the demand and so the retail monetary values remain high.

When domestic fowl industry was in downswing after the mass slaughter, the public gave moral and fiscal support to it. Therefore it is unsocial for retail merchants to refund their loss by over-charging poulet consumers. Retailers should merely bear down a just monetary value.

Long term effects of bird grippe crisis

1. Better co-ordination between different authorities sections

By reexamining authorities s action towards the eruption of the bird grippe, we think that authorities learn a lesson and will hold better co-ordination between different sections. In mid-December, the Urban Services Department, the Regional Services Department, Hospital Authority, the Department of Health, the Education Department and the Social Welfare Department issued guidelines to different entities severally on how to manage poulets and to cover with suspected instances of bird grippe. Besides there were Television and wireless proclamations informing the populace the symptoms of acquiring bird grippe. Telephone hotlines were set up to reply questions. ( Cited from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/news/special/Birdflu/Index.a

sp? Folio=Fallout ) . It is believed that through this experience, different authorities sections has built up a communicating nexus among themselves. Then they will hold better co-ordination in covering with exigency in the hereafter.

We have Dr. Campbell of University Health Care Service. As a medical professional, she thought that authorities had given plenty guidelines to physicians. The Hong Kong Medical Association had given update information about the disease to physicians through medical bulletin. So she had assurance in covering with the disease. If she discovered any suspected instances, she would direct them to infirmaries. Besides blood samples collected in the University clinic would be sent to public research lab for farther chemical analysis.

2. Introduction of look intoing procedure on imported unrecorded poulets

Since most of our domestic fowl semen from the mainland, the eruption of bird flu brings about the review of imported unrecorded domestic fowl. On 7th February 1998, Hong Kong authorities resumed the import of fresh poulets from the mainland. Since so, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department ( AFD ) start to carry on H5N1 trials on imported poulets at the Man Kam To surround checkpoints. This ensures that domestic fowl which infected by the virus H5N1 will non be brought to Hong Kong and convey the disease to other local domestic fowl.

However the checking procedure is criticised as inefficient and ill-planned. The procedure takes so much clip that the birds will be doomed to decease on the long journey. This is proved by the fact that on 19th February 1998, there were reported instance of decease of 400 poulets because they were crammed in the truck for a long clip. Though there were a batch of unfavorable judgments against the checking procedure, the AFD should non be pressured into loosen uping the system. Alternatively, the AFD should enroll more staff to rush up the procedure and understate the figure of deceases of poulets.

3. Police combated offense

Although bird grippe crisis brought about a batch of frights to Hong Kong people, it made the constabulary be cognizant of the illegal activity which had occurred at the Cheung Sha Wan sweeping market for 8 old ages. Domestic fowl jobbers had been charged for alleged service fees for coops. However these charges were really illegal. Over the past 8 old ages, domestic fowl bargainers had already paid more than $ 20 million to the service company which was controlled by triad members. After the mass slaughter of poulets, this illegal activity was disclosed to the constabulary and they successfully combated the offense. The remotion of service fees enables each bargainer to salvage $ 20 000 per month. This in turns cut down the sweeping monetary values of poulets by 60 cents a cattie. And Hong Kong people will so hold the opportunity to devour cheaper poulets despite the over-charging by retail merchants. ( Lee, Naomi ) .

4. Cleaner markets and guidelines for poulet peddlers

After taking all the poulets from HK, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department ( AFD ) and the Urban Services Department ( USD ) carried out a revamp program at both the sweeping market and all the market stables. All the wooden coops were replaced by plastic coops which would be cleaned up more easy. Chicken cages at market stables were cleaned exhaustively and freshly painted. The markets now have a fresh and clean expression.

In the interim, detailed guidelines were given to chicken peddlers. They were asked to have on baseball mitts and masks while managing poulets and rinse their custodies instantly after covering with poulets. Besides chickens should be slaughtered at the market s centralised blistering suites. We visited the 29 poulet stables once more after the guidelines were issued. We could see that really few peddlers observed the regulations. Some of them said that the regulations were time-consuming and pathetic. They would follow the guidelines merely when they were checked by inspectors. ( Lee, Naomi )

Guidelines will non be effectual in forestalling the spread of bird grippe if they are observed by peddlers. Inspectors should do more sudden reviews or give punishments to peddlers who violate the regulations. And we hope that peddlers will be more attention about hygiene and follow the regulations.

5. Viral probe concerned

While all the unfavorable judgments are indicating towards authorities s slow action against the spread of bird grippe, authorities make the right determination to set up an advanced medical research lab in Hong Kong by 2001. We will no longer be wholly dependent on other states. This research lab will centralize the disease monitoring, trace the beginning of the infective disease and

implement steps to command its spread. With this research lab, Hong Kong can get by with the eruption of contagious disease in a much faster rate. Besides we can make our research and develop vaccinums and new drugs for the disease.

6. Health Consciousness aroused

After the bird grippe crisis, Hong Kong people become more wellness witting. In the past, people used to hold steamed poulets, which is partly done, so that the meat would be stamp. But now poulets are exhaustively cooked before functioning in repasts. Apart from bird grippe, people are more concerned for other enteric upset and nutrient toxic condition. They are more watchful to eating shell fish, veggies and domestic fowl. All these sorts of nutrient are exhaustively washed and 100 % cooked.

Decision

On one manus, bird grippe crisis created a batch of negative short-run results in Hong Kong. It increased the load of infirmaries, caused want of poulets for more than one month, took away the agencies of support of domestic fowl bargainers and hit the fighting touristry industry. But on the other manus, both Hong Kong authorities and Hong Kong people learn a lesson from this incidence. The public go more health-conscious, lily-livered peddlers are more cognizant of the hygiene of their stables and the authorities concerns more about the viral probe.

It is criticised that authorities was excessively slow to take action so the bird grippe brought a batch of panics and concerns to Hong Kong people. However authorities did a good occupation in maintaining the decease rate of bird grippe every bit low as possible. The mass slaughter was successful in halting the spread of the disease.

Alternatively of merely indicating out the mistakes of the authorities, Hong Kong people should seek to safeguard themselves by following the guidelines issued by the authorities. Always be health-conscious and maintain ourselves fit and strong, we will non be easy frightened by new diseases.

Mentions

Chan, Felix & A ; Ng, Kang-Chung. Costly fresh poulets sell out in two hours.

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/news/special/birdflu/Index.asp? Folio=Fallout ( 10/2/1998 )

Ku, Genevieve. Main parties ready to O.K. $ 770m payout. South China Morning Post. 9/1/1998.

Ku, Genevieve & A ; Li, Angela. Slaughter payouts dismissed as inadequate. South China Morning Post. 6/1/1998.

Lee, Stella. 18 private physicians to fall in bird grippe investigation. South China Morning Post. 18/12/1997.

Lee, Naomi. Chicken monetary values to drop after service fees for coops cancelled.

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/news/special/birdflu/Index.asp? Article_Id=19980205004424032 & A ; folio=StorySoFar ( 8/2/1998 )

Lee, Naomi. Hawkers ignore poulet putting to death guidelines as imports rise.

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/news/special/birdflu/Index.asp? Folio=Fallout ( 11/2/1998 )

Lee, Naomi & A ; Mathewson, Ruth. Border grippe cheques delay first bird bringing for one twenty-four hours.

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/news/special/Birdflu? Article_Id=19980205004424034 & A ; folio=Main

Li, Andrea & A ; Wong, Billy. Cash-strapped husbandmans worry for households. South China Morning Post. 30/12/1997.

Poole, Oliver. Cathay offer hit by flu frights.

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/news/special/Index.asp? Article_Id=19980107130825274 & A ; folio=Fallout ( 15/2/1998 )