Since some hamster samples tested positive for the new coronavirus, all hamsters in pet stores in Hong Kong will be picked up for testing and humane destruction. The government also appeals to citizens who bought hamsters after December 22 to hand over their small pets at home. They are tested for the virus, and if they are positive, the owner will be asked to quarantine, and regardless of the result, the hamsters handed over will be humanely destroyed.
Yuen Kwok-yung, a government anti-epidemic expert consultant and chair professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, praised the approach as "decisive" and "wise", saying that it could effectively prevent the virus from spreading among hamsters, resulting in the emergence of newer variants of the virus, which spread from Hong Kong to the world.
▼The pet shop Little Boss has closed all 14 stores▼
Government expert advisor and chair professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, Yuan Guoyong, after inspecting Dongmanlou where vertical transmission occurred this afternoon (18th), he mentioned that the AFCD had destroyed all hamsters humanely, and praised the "decisive" and "wise" approach to culling the hamsters The decision can effectively prevent the human-to-human transmission of the new variant virus.
Yuan Guoyong compared the cases of mink transmission in Europe and the United States, saying that there were very few cases of mink transmission at that time, but tens of thousands of minks had been culled.
He emphasized that the gene sequence of the confirmed shop assistant and other cases of Delta virus is different, and he is worried that the hamsters will spread to each other to form a genetic mutation, and it is not ruled out that they will infect humans again. People and even the whole world, I really don’t want to see them.”
Yuan Guoyong also mentioned that hamsters do not become ill immediately, and it is impossible to test every day. In addition, the experiment shows that hamsters are more sensitive to the virus, and they will release a large amount of virus in the first ten days, which is easy to spread the virus. Experts from various ministries need to study the transmission mode. .
It is illegal to hand in hamsters. The law requires voluntary handing of rats without compensation. You must sign a letter of abandonment.
AFCD's Humane Treatment Method One Article Sees Thousands of Hamsters Humanely Destroyed Hacken Chan points out that it is inappropriate to advocate quarantine Thousands of hamsters need to be handled humanely. People who have recently purchased hamsters also need to hand over hamsters. News: Many hamster samples were brought to Delta Port in Little Boss in Causeway Bay.
