Strengthened Inspection on Chinese Chicken

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced yesterday that the poultry influenza was reported in Hong Kong May 16 and therefore the Ministry is to strengthen the inspection on imported poultry from Hong Kong and China. The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service is to raise it inspection level from routine sampling inspection to over-all inspection. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry noticed this plan to China. Once the strengthened inspection becomes effective, import of the poultry product is virtually prohibited for about a month.

The poultry influenza, which is a first -degree legal epidemic, is spread by contact and air. Infected fowls suffer from high fever, hypersensitivity, diarrhea, decrease of egg-laying, and high death rate.

According to the Ministry, Hong Kong government had slaughtered more than 6000 infected chickens.

Kim Sang-Chul sckim007@donga.com