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  Channel NewsAsia 1 Nov 05
HK's bird sanctuary a popular site despite avian flu fears
By Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Correspondent Steven Jiang

HONG KONG : With new cases of bird flu emerging in Asia, scientists in Hong Kong are trying to calm fears over health threats from migratory birds.

The city's Mai Po Nature Reserve is one of the world's key wintering and stopover sites for migratory birds, and experts are calling for it to remain open.

Students from Hong Kong's New Asia Middle School are enjoying a day out at the city's Mai Po Nature Reserve, playing and learning at one of the world's largest sanctuaries for migratory birds.

But their teacher is a little uneasy - migratory birds have been blamed for carrying the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu from Asia to Europe. Choi Wai-Chun, Biology Teacher at New Asia Middle School, said: "One or two students did not come because their parents were worried."

As some schools start to cancel such trips, experts are calling for calm.

Dr Lew Young, Manager of Mai Po Nature Reserve, has worked at Mai Po for almost 15 years. He says scientists have been collecting blood samples from the reserve's birds since H5N1 was first detected in Hong Kong.

Dr Young said: "Every year, on average, we take about 7,000 samples and we also collect droppings as well from the areas where these birds roost. "There has no been no positive results for H5N1 amongst the migratory birds at Mai Po and around Deep Bay since 1997."

So far all the human cases of bird flu have been linked to sick poultry. Dr Young said the focus should instead be on the international movement of domesticated birds. "Poultry, we know now, can have the virus - but the birds themselves do not show the symptoms," he said.

Every year more than 50,000 migratory birds come to the Mai Po Nature Reserve to spend the winter. And experts say the risk of contracting bird flu from wild birds remains minimal if you have good personal hygiene and avoid close contact with birds.

Still the reserve has stepped up precautions and visitors are reassured by the educational messages and readily available soap.

Chong Hiu-Yu, Student at New Asia Middle School, said: "We only watched birds from afar and they also gave us disinfectant to wash our hands afterwards."

And judging from the busloads of enthusiastic students arriving at the reserve, there is still plenty of confidence in the reserve. - CNA/de
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