Subject: One more dead White-rumped Munia with H5 白腰文鳥再驗出H5禽流 [Print This Page] Author: Webcreeper Time: 20/01/2007 15:39 Subject: One more dead White-rumped Munia with H5 白腰文鳥再驗出H5禽流
20/1/07 明報 Mingpao
Another dead White-rumped Munia with the H5 virus was found at 101-109 Boundary Street on 16/1/07. HF Cheung, chairman of HKBWS, has been warning that more cases are expected if the import of munias was not banned temporarily.
[hr]
14:46 20/1/07 明報網上即時新聞 Instant news from Mingpao website
York Chow, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, commented while the import of pet birds could be controlled via liaison with mainland China, the influx of wild birds is hard to control. He said that the number of positive cases was low (only 5 positive cases among 1000 birds tested in the month) but the situation would be closely monitored. He also remarked that it would be difficult to speculate where the dead munias came from because they could be from the wild or released from homes.
One white-rumped munia was also on the top of the no 71 bus I was travelling on from Aberdeen to Central this afternoon. Not sure how it got in, but there was screaming and panicking and rushing backwards and forwards as the bird flew around the bus. I was surprised the bus didn't tip over. Shows the kind of hysteria which is all too common here. Author: Webcreeper Time: 21/01/2007 11:55
21/1/07 明報 Mingpao
After the White-rumped Munia at Boundary Street, Mong Kok was confirmed to carry the H5 virus, a large number of these birds were found gathering at Bird Garden, Mongkok.
HF Cheung, chairman of HKBWS, suspected that they were released by importers as such behaviour is not normal of the bird. A member of the Society also found many munias pecking at birdfeed along with other wild birds at Golden Hill Country Park. Cheung was worried that those were also releases and might spread the virus. Cheung suggested the government to collect all munias through a voluntary no-blame arrangement.
Dr Lo Wing Lok, specialist in Infectious Disease, suggested that the import of wild birds should be banned and all birds sold as pets should only be bred in farms instead.
AFCD was not sure whether the munias were released as they also occur naturally in Hong Kong. However people may surrender their birds to AFCD’s Animal Management Centres for humane treatment. They will not be prosecuted because it is not certain whether they were smuggled into the territory.
