Written answer by Ministry of National Development on safeguards imposed by NParks to protect its contractors from the H5N1 avian flu

Sep 9, 2024

Question No: 5954

Question by: Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye

To ask the Minister for National Development whether there are any safeguards imposed by NParks on its licensed contractors to ensure that their workers who are dealing with birds, are protected from the H5N1 avian flu.

Answer:

 NParks’ contractors are required to take necessary precautionary measures when working in close contact with birds. These measures include wearing protective equipment such as disposable gloves and masks, and the double bagging of carcasses in biohazard bags before disposal. Contractors are also required to wash their hands thoroughly and disinfect or dispose of equipment to prevent cross contamination. To further mitigate the risks of disease transmission, animal rescue services have implemented vaccination policies for their workers. To date, there are no confirmed human or animal cases of Avian influenza, including influenza A(H5N1), in Singapore.