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)