The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that the H5N2 and H5N8 avian influenza strains currently sweeping the nation will not affect humans, after completing an analysis on the viruses’ genome sequences.
CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said the analysis indicated that the two strains only affect birds, and bear several identical genetic markers from the H5N8 strain previously discovered in Japan, South Korea, the US, Canada and Germany.
He said the subtypes exhibit a poor ability to replicate in mammals, and there have not yet been any cases of human infections.
Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji (陳保基) once again dismissed speculation that the viruses were locally generated, saying the genome sequencing results reconfirmed the council’s previous statements that the H5 hemagglutinin and N8 neuraminidase were most similar to the H5N8 strain detected in South Korea, while the H2 strain bears a significant similarity to the H5N2 variant found in China’s Jilin Province.
He reassured the public that poultry health monitoring tasks were being strictly enforced at slaughterhouses by practicing veterinarians commissioned by local authorities, and that poultry meat and eggs are safe for consumption after being fully cooked, urging people not to panic.
Meanwhile, the council yesterday at noon imposed the second ban on poultry slaughtering this month, in a bid to contain the outbreaks.
The ban is to last until noon on Tuesday and all transportation of poultry is also to cease during this period, the council said.
The four-day prohibition is to be observed by all poultry farms nationwide, while the previous one was only imposed on facilities raising waterfowl and lasted just 72 hours.
Poultry Association of the Republic of China secretary-general Wang Chien-pei (王建培) said the previous operation — which saw the strains go on to spread among chickens — was not very effective, hence the reason for the stricter ban.
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