These recorded dialogues were broadcast in the Social Welfare and
Environmental Hygiene Committee of Legislative Yuan yesterday. The tape is a
record of the first meeting concerning the pathogenic level of H5N2 found in
Fangyuan township, Changhua County.
“The instruction I received is that this is not a situation requiring
fast action.” “We don't need to make any conclusion today.” said Hsu in the
tape.
Hsu resigned on March 4 after the H5N2 found in Changhua was classified
as that of a highly pathogenic level, but allegations of a cover-up remain.
Questioned by legislators in a committee of the Legislative Yuan, Hsu
stated that he received instructions from an “oversight committee,” which is
assembled by all related officials, including the minister and the deputy
minister of the COA.
COA, Hsu
Confrontation
In the audio recording, Lee Shu-hwae, Director of the Epidemiology
Division, Animal Health Institute, COA, confronted Hsu. Lee's team was
responsible for the tests of H5N2 in Fangyuan. Lee demanded strongly that Hsu
report the issue immediately to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Lee could be heard yelling on the tape that according to the standard operating
procedure in Taiwan, the pathogenic level of H5N2 in Fangyuan should be
classified as that of a highly pathogenic level immediately. Both highly
pathogenic and low pathogenic H5N2 were found in Fangyuan, stated Lee. On Dec.
30 and Jan. 4, numerous deaths were found by Lee's team. Lee further stated
that she had participated in many conferences of avian influenza in the U.S.
and worldwide.
Lee's vehement demand, however, was discarded by Hsu. Lee Hui-ren, an
independent award-winning filmmaker who uncovered the issue of the possible
cover-up by the COA, commented in the committee: “This is the most shameful one
government official can be.”
Hsu is the only person in the meeting of experts on Feb. 1 who insisted
that the Fangyuan case should not be considered to be of the highly pathogenic
level, stated legislators.
COA's Procedure
Questioned
The Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee made two
resolutions: First: The COA should disclose its information according to law.
Second: The COA should abide by the principles of the OIE.
Scholars and Chu Tseng-hung, CEO of Environment and Animal Society of
Taiwan stated that it is incorrect for the COA to take clinical inspection of
death rates at farms into account when evaluating the pathogenic level. Despite
the fact that the death rate at one farm might not be high when H5N2 is
initially found, when the virus goes to other places and infects other
chickens, the death rate might soar immediately. Chickens at the original H5N2
site may have antibodies, while chickens in other places may not, stated Chu
and other scholars. This is why the OIE does not regard clinical inspection in
farms as important, Chu continued.
6,000 Missing Dead
Chickens
In Jutang township, Changhua County, over 6,000 chickens died at a farm
before the farm owner reported the incident to the COA on March 5. The farm
owner said these dead chickens were taken away by people who the farm owner
does not know. The COA is still investigating what happened to the missing
birds.
Camaron Kao
The China Post
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