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Bird Flu Q&A 有關禽流感的問答

Bird Flu Q & A 有關禽流感的問答

For the third year Bird Flu has been discovered in a supposedly wild bird in Hong Kong. For the third year the Government has taken a poorly-advised approach that is more about being seen to act  than taking the responsible and sensible measures to protect and inform the public.

Below is a Q&A about this incident and the Government's current procedures for handling Bird Flu.


Q1. How many cases are there of people catching bird flu from wild birds anywhere in Hong Kong, China or the rest of the world?
A. NONE.

Q2. Why is this?
A. Wild birds which have a virus usually have much lower concentrations of the virus than factory farmed poultry or wild birds crammed together in cages. Both of these quickly pass on the virus and continually reinfect one another leading to very high concentrations of the virus and rapid development of new strains.

Q3. Which birds are most commonly traded for religious release  in Hong Kong?
A. A Hong Kong University study has shown that Spotted Munia and White-rumped Munia are the most commonly released birds.

Q4. Is Spotted Munia an urban species?
A. No. It is found agricultural and wetland areas.

Q5. So what was this bird doing on a road in Happy Valley
A. It is highly likely that it was not a truly wild bird, but had been released for religious purposes. The fact that it was found with four others together is typical of cases where newly released birds either die immediately because they are sick and/or starving, or are already dead and simply tipped out of the cages!

Q6. Is December-March the migration season in Hong Kong?
A. Yes, but there is migration in Hong Kong in EVERY MONTH of the year. The peak migraton seasons are September-November  and Late March - early May.

Q7. So why is there no bird flu in other seasons?
A. Because migratory birds are not the principal factor in the spread of bird flu to Hong Kong.

Q8. So what are the main factors in the spread of bird flu?
A. There are two: Most importantly,poultry bred in stressful conditions in high intensity factory farms which are traded in huge numbers throughout the world. Also chicken manure is traded as fertilizer and transported huge distances.  Everyone who has got sick or died has come into contact with poultry.

Secondly, wild birds crammed into cages under highly stressful and unhygienic conditions, often with no food and water often contract spread and die of various types of bird flu.

In both situations disease, infection and reinfection all flourish and a huge percentage of birds die. If the birds have not yet reached the markets the carcasses are usually left inside the cages with the live birds, rotting away and causing more infection.

Q9. So How do wild birds die of bird flu?
A. Different strains of bird flu occur naturally in wild birds and some die. However, migratory birds are not good at spreading deadly H5N1 because when they contract this disease they die quickly. In other words dead ducks don't fly!

Wild birds also come into contact with bird flu from feeding on disposed carcasses from poultry farms or from feeding in places where the virus-rich manure is discharged from the farm.

Q10. So how come birds are mostly found with bird flu in winter in Hong Kong?
A.Birds are more susceptible to flu in winter because of the cold - just like people.

Q11. Do bird watchers touch wild birds?
A. NO! Bird watchers usually watch birds FROM A DISTANCE with Binoculars.

Q12. So if there is no extra risk from birdwatching,why have guided bird watching activities been stopped in Hong Kong Park and Kowloon Park, when all other users of the parks continue to use the park as normal
A. There is no logical reason whatsoever!

Q13. What is the result of stopping these activities?
A. The main impact is on the members of the Crested Bulbul Club who lead the tours.  This club is run by elderly bird watchers and the guiding in the park offers them the opportunity to share their love of birds with members of the public and enjoy a healthy outdoor activity. This measure by the Government deprives the elderly of the chance to serve the community. They can still go birdwatching - they just can't lead tours! We are all still free to go birdwatching in the parks - this shows the foolishness of the Government's flu prevention measures.

Q14. So what should the Government do?
A. Restore the organised bird watching activities in the parks. Advise people not to touch dead birds and maintain basic hygiene. If you don't touch birds there should be no risk of infection. They should also base their disease prevention of sound science and consultation with appropriate experts.

Also it seems highly likely that the bird found with H5 has been deliberately caught and sold for release. The bird markets selling these birds should be very closely monitored, or at the least a radical review of the hygiene condidtions of the birds needs to be made.



Q15. What happens if a bird is found near Mai Po or the Wetland Park?
A. If a bird is found with a H5 virus within 3km of either place, they will be closed for 21 days.

Q16. So how come Kowloon Park and Hong Kong Park and Happy Valley have not been closed for 21 days? This seems rather inconsistent.
A. It is inconsistent, and the Government has provided no logical explanation.  The reality is that there is no risk of infection to the public within 30cm of the bird, let alone 3km!  

Q17. So the Government is right to allow the public to continue to use the parks?
A. Yes, because there is no risk. They are just discriminating against bird watchers, perhaps because "bird watcher" and "bird flu" both have "bird" in the name. Watch out if you drive a Nissan Bluebird! This may not be the real reason but it is just as sensible as the reasons proposed by the Government.

Q18. So how has the Government come up with these measures? Were bird watchers or wild bird experts consulted?
A. After the Government had failed to consult the environmental NGOs LegCo forced the Government to consult HKBWS and WWF.  But this did not happen until after the guidelines had been drawn up. After the consultation the guidelines were not changed because the Government decided it was too much trouble to seek approval from the vets, doctors and disease specialists and other bureaucrats(who know very little about wild birds) for new guidelines. So the current guidelines remain and do nothing except make people frightened for no reason and deprive the elderly of a chance to serve the community.
Mike KilburnVice Chairman, HKBWSChairman, Conservation Committee

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Well done, Mike on behalf of all of us for putting this all together in such a cogently reasoned and coherent form.

We must get across one very simple point in particular; that - based on systematic record-keeping over many years - any group of suddenly dead or moribund Scaly-breasted Munias in an urban area had almost certainly been caught up in the bird trade and then subject to wilful and illegal release.

If we get that point across, we can get the bird trade closed down and the release practice stopped, not have Mai Po placed under quarantine restrictions again.

I hope we'll be able to get it all out through the local Press, including the farce of banning the old people's bird-watching walks while allowing the parks to stay open.

Mike Turnbull.

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本港又在一只被認為是野生的雀鳥身上驗出禽流感,這已經是第三年了。
一如以往,政府同樣採取了「有姿勢、無實際」的可笑處理手法,
卻缺乏負責而合理的措施去保護公眾,讓市民了解實情。

以下的一問一答有助大家了解這次事件,以及政府目前處理禽流感的方法。


問題1:在本港、中國大陸和世界各地,
有多少個案例顯示人類會從野鳥處染上禽流感?

答:沒有。


問題2:為甚麼會這樣?
答:染上禽流感病毒的野鳥通常體內的病毒數目不多,
遠比農場養殖的家禽或被人擠進籠中的野鳥為少。
後兩者會很快地將病毒散播開去,不斷互相重覆交义感染,
令體內病毒濃度增高,同時又加快了新變種病毒的產生。


問題3:在本港出售,給人在宗教儀式中放生的最常見是甚麼鳥。
答:香港大港一項研究顯示,給人放生的最常見是斑文鳥和白腰文鳥。


問題4:斑文鳥是市區內常見的雀鳥嗎?
答:否。斑文鳥通常在農地和濕地出現。


問題5:那麼死去的斑文鳥在跑馬地做甚麼?
答:那鳥極可能不是真正的野鳥,而是給人放生的。
發現這鳥的時候同時還找到另外四只,這是放生時常見的現象 -
給人放生的鳥會因疾病或飢餓很快便死亡,
又或者因為已經死去而給人自籠中丟出來。


問題6:十二月到三月是否本港的候鳥遷徙季節?
答:是,不過本港一年之中每個月都有雀鳥遷徙,
高峰期在九至十一月,以及三月尾至五月初。


問題7:那麼為何其他季節沒有禽流感?
答:因為候鳥不是散播禽流感的主要原因。


問題8:那麼甚麼才是散播禽流感的主要原因?
答:主要原因有二:最重要的是由高密度養殖場大批飼養的家禽,
這些鳥在惡劣的環境下生長,全球各地都有大量交易。
還有就是被當作肥料出售的雞糞,給人運送到遙遠的地方。
因禽流感致病或死亡的每一個人都曾和家禽接觸。

第二個主要原因是給人擠進籠中的野鳥,
籠內環境惡劣、衛生很壞,而且往往沒有水和食物,
令不少野鳥因此染上各種禽流感而死亡。

在以上兩種情況下,疾病、感染和重覆感染肆虐,
令雀鳥大量死亡。在未運扺市場之前,死去的鳥屍通常都留在籠中腐爛,
和其他活鳥混在一起,引起更多的感染。


問題9:那麼禽流感怎樣殺死野鳥?
答:在自然中的野鳥身上會有各種不同的禽流感病毒,部份雀鳥會因此死亡。
不過候鳥不容易散播高致病性的 H5N1 病毒,因為一旦染上便會很快死去,
換句話說是「死鴨不會飛!」

此外,野鳥也會經以下途徑和禽流感病毒接觸:
進食家禽養殖場丟棄的死鳥屍體,或者在排放帶病毒糞便的養殖場附近覓食。


問題10:那麼為甚麼在香港帶禽流感的雀鳥冬季最多?
答:因為在冬季的寒冷天氣下雀鳥較易受感染 - 就如人類一樣。


問題11:觀鳥者會觸摸野鳥嗎?
答:不會!觀鳥者通常都和鳥保持相當距離,只用望遠鏡觀察。


問題12:如果觀鳥不會提高風險,為甚麼要停止香港公園和九龍公園內的觀鳥導賞活動,
而其他人卻仍然可以如常地使用這兩個公園?

答:沒有任何理由!


問題13:停止這些活動有何後果?
答:最大的打擊是帶領導賞活動的紅耳鵯俱樂部會員。
俱樂部由長者鳥友組成,導賞活動給他們和公眾分享觀鳥樂趣的機會,同時又是一個健康的戶外活動。
政府停止導賞活動,令他們失去服務社會的機會。
紅耳鵯們仍舊可以繼續觀鳥 - 只是不能帶隊!
我們亦可以自由到公園觀鳥 - 這顯示當局的防疫措施是何等可笑。


問題14:那麼政府應該怎樣做?
答:恢復公園內的觀鳥導賞活動,呼籲市民不要觸摸死鳥,保持基本衛生。
如果各位沒有觸摸雀鳥,就應該沒有染病的風險。
當局制定防疫措施時,亦應該以正確的科學為基礎,並諮詢適當的專家。

還有,那只驗出帶H5 病毒的鳥極可能是給人捕捉後出售作放生用的。
政府應該密切監察售賣放生雀鳥的市場,或者最少應該徹底檢討一下那些雀鳥的衛生情況。


問題15:如果在米埔或濕地公園附近發現帶禽流感的雀鳥會怎麼樣?
答:如果在 3 公里範圍以內發現帶 H5 病毒的雀鳥,當地便會關閉21日。


問題16:那麼為甚麼沒有將九龍公園、香港公園和跑馬地關閉21日?處理方法好像並不一致。
答:確實不一致,而當局也沒有給出合理的解釋。
事實上就算在近至死鳥週圍30 公分的地方,公眾都沒有感染風險,更不用說3公里。


問題17:那麼政府仍然讓公眾繼續使用兩個公園是對的?
答:是,因為沒有風險。當局只是歧視觀鳥者,
也許是因為「觀鳥者」(bird watcher)和「禽流感」(bird flu)兩個詞的英文都有 bird 這個字吧,
駕駛日產藍鳥(Nissan Bluebird)汽車的人可要小心了!
這可能不是真正的理由,但是其合理程度則和當局給出的理由差不了多少。


問題18:那麼政府是怎樣制定這些措施的呢?有沒有諮詢過觀鳥者或雀鳥專家?
答:政府沒有諮詢過環保民間團體,立法會因此強逼政府向香港觀鳥會和世界自然基金會諮詢,
不過當局要等到指引制定完成之後才進行。諮詢完之後又沒有修改指引,
因為政府認為要再向獸醫、醫生、疾病專家和其他(對野鳥認識甚少的)官僚取得批准實在太麻煩,因此目前的指引沒有改動過。
除了令市民無故恐慌、令長者失去服務社會的機會之外,這些指引不見得有任何作用。



_________________
吳敏
香港觀鳥會副主席
香港觀鳥會自然保育委員會主席


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