January 27, 2006

Bird flu experts worry as China celebrates Lunar New Year
 

Shoppers in Beijing filling their shopping carts with chickens as the Lunar New Year  approaches are causing much consternation to health experts who worry about increased bird flu risks during this period.

Sales of poultry have fallen across Asia since bird flu re-emerged in 2003. However, chicken consumption is expected to increase sharply in many Asian countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year beginning on Jan 29,

Families in Hong Kong and southern China prefer to buy live chickens to ensure freshness and the chicken is lightly boiled before being served in reunion dinners. The fact that the chicken is slaughtered at home and that it may not be properly cooked worries health experts as it is a prime channel for the virus to transfer itself onto humans.

Furthermore, hundreds of millions of migrant workers travel home during this period, bringing poultry with them on board crowded buses and trains. This sets the scene for a very dangerous situation, says the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) chief of animal health services, Joseph Domenech. The likelihood of pathogens spreading is much higher when people and animals are in transit, Domenech said.

Authorities in southwest China's Chengdu city this week suspended the sale of poultry at a market after a 29-year-old woman who worked there died after contracting bird flu.

Although the sale of poultry at the market was suspended, officials said they do not intend to close poultry markets in other parts of the city so close to the New Year.

The deputy head of Vietnam's animal health department, Hoang Van Nam said  authorities would be vigilant during this period, when sales of chicken is at its peak because of Tet, the equivalent of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Vietnam has just declared itself free of bird flu after several outbreaks last year. The country   requires all poultry to come from certified vendors only. However, Vietnam's state media have reported cases of uncertified poultry being sold in markets across the country.