All aquatic products in Thailand safe, department assures after panic over virus outbreak in China
Amid widespread concerns that the second wave of coronavirus outbreak in China could spread to Thailand via imported salmon, the Department of Fisheries has assured that all aquatic animal products sold in Thailand are safe from the virus.
China said on Thursday (June 18) that a new outbreak of the virus had been traced to imported salmon processed at Beijing’s Xinfadi food market. The news rocked confidence in the Thai seafood market, since Thailand imports large shipments of salmon.
However, no raw salmon products are shipped from China to Thailand, said the department director-general Meesak Pakdeekong.
Moreover, he added, the aquatic animal products consumed in Thailand were checked and controlled from those boats in the fishing industry. Also, the aquaculture farms are required to achieve the Good Aquaculture Practices standard.
Meesak also said that fish and other aqua products sold in those fresh markets have always been randomly checked by officials from the ministries of Interior and Public Health.
Under the epidemiological view, he explained that the aquatic animals are cold-blooded creatures, and there is no evidence that fish can carry the Covid-19 virus since their respiratory systems are different from those of mammals.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (Office International des Epizooties, OIE) reported that, apart from human beings, the coronavirus has been found in dogs, cats and bats.