I received death threats 3 times in 26 years, top Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung says, calls for vigilance against future pandemics
- Government pandemic adviser Professor Yuen Kwok-yung says he received threats after repeatedly calling for ban on sale of live animals at wet markets
- World could pay ‘hefty price’ if it lets guard down against future pandemic, he warns
A top Hong Kong microbiologist has revealed he received death threats three times over the past 26 years while studying outbreaks in the city and mainland China, also warning the world would pay a “hefty price” if it failed to prepare for other pandemics.
Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, on Thursday said he had received the messages after repeatedly calling for a ban on the sale of live animals at wet markets.
A government spokesman on Friday said the authorities were “highly concerned” about the incident and had contacted the expert for follow-up to ensure members of the expert committee could carry out their duties safely.
“The government will strictly follow up on anyone who tries to use illegal means to affect experts,” he said.
Yuen was first threatened in 1997, when experts discovered the H5N1 bird flu virus had spread to human beings, leading to an outbreak, the government pandemic adviser wrote in an article for a Chinese-language local newspaper.