Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)
said Saturday that stringent enforcement action will be taken from
next Monday against any irregularities detected with all operators
of live poultry retail outlets.
In the wake of the recent avian flu cases in some Asian
countries, the FEHD Saturday delivered letters to all market stall
operators and shop licensees selling live poultry, urging them to
strictly adhere to the revised conditions to safeguard public
health as well as to protect their own health.
The revised conditions required all operators and workers in
live poultry retail outlets to wear aprons and rubber boots while
at work. Rubber gloves should also be worn when handling and
bleeding live poultry and the gloves must be intact and
undamaged.
A FEHD spokesman said: "We will inspect all live poultry stalls
in our markets every two hours to check compilation of the hygiene
conditions and to watch out for any clinical signs of H5 infection
in the live poultry."
"One verbal warning, with a written letter to record the breach,
will be issued against any breach of the hygiene conditions. If the
irregularity is not rectified on a repeated check, a notification
of intention to terminate the tenancy agreement or cancel the
license will be issued immediately without any further warning,"
the spokesman elaborated.
FEHD has also put on display posters and stickers in poultry
stalls, advising workers and the public on measures to prevent
avian flu. Booklets outlining specific conditions and hygiene
guidelines on prevention of avian flu have also been distributed to
poultry stall operators.
(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2004)