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No FMD Increase in Farms in HK: Official
A Hong Kong government official said here Wednesday that there was no evidence to suggest that Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Hong Kong was more serious this year than in previous years.
Leslie Sims, Assistant Director of the Hong Kong SAR's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), said: "The disease does occur in pigs in Hong Kong during the winter months and is controlled using vaccination."
FMD is an animal disease highly contagious in pigs, cattle and sheep and is transmitted from pigs to pigs through direct contact and air. Affected animals develop fever, blisters in their mouth and on their feet. The disease in young animals may be fatal.
According to the Department of Health (DH), the Foot and Mouth Disease is not a public health hazard and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) confirmed that food-borne transmission is extremely unlikely.
"As the virus is easily killed by cooking, consumption of pork poses no risk to public health. There is no cause for public alarm, " Sims said.
The official also pointed out that transmission of FMD of pigs to human beings through contacts is extremely unlikely. The DH had received no report of such human infections of FMD.
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