TNAG-1019-FCO40-1269-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1981 — Page 70

BY BAG

оголь

布政司署

港下亞

畢道

CONFIDENTIAL

18

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

**** OUR REF: CR 1/3781/76

來函檔號 YOUR REF:

Hierz 02016

P J Williamson Esq HK&GD

RECEVED

Y NO. 51

2-

S MAY 1981

FCO

Dear Patraka,

DREX OFFICLA

INDEX

PA

ло

881.5

REGISTRY Action Taken

AW"

15 Apri1981

11. Mr Morning for.

I fuow

3. M

THE SUPPLY OF RABIES VACCINE TO SHENZHEN

You will recall that last year's alarming outbreak of rabies in the New Territories prompted discussions between ourselves and the Chinese on ways of containing the disease and preventing rabid dogs from Shenzhen crossing the border into Hong Kong. The Director of Medical & Health Services and the Director of Agriculture & Fisheries both visited Guangzhou.

2.

Exchanges on the subject continued with the Shenzhen authorities maintaining a co-operative approach. The most significant development, however, was the Shenzhen authorities' acceptance of our offer to supply doses of rabies vaccine for them to innoculate dogs and help us by protecting the frontier.

3.

On 7 April therefore, two officers from the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries accompanied a consignment of 10,000 doses of 'Rabisin' anti-rabies vaccine to the Animal Husbandry Department in Shenzhen. The recommended use of the vaccine and a method of tattooing dogs so innoculated was demonstrated. Agreement on the competent administration and use of the vaccine was also reached.

4.

During the visit, the Director of the Health & Quarantine Department of Shenzhen (Yuan Shengyu) said that the total dog population of the area under the municipality's jurisdiction was 60,000 in 1980 but some 20,000 of these had been destroyed since the recent outbreak of rabies. Mr Yuan confirmed that during 1980 there were 7 human deaths due to rabies but that no case of human rabies had been reported so far this year. He also said that Shenzhen was expecting a consignment of sheep brain culture rabies vaccine from Shanghai to arrive soon.

5.

One of the key points of interest in this recent exercise is that it is the first obvious occasion of our providing 'aid' across the border. The exercise has not been given any publicity by us, lest this serve to embarrass the

/Chinese

CONFIDENTIAL