Bird flu scare in Hong Kong

Hong Kong - Hong Kong was on bird flu alert on Friday after a wild bird found in a busy shopping area was tested positive for the avian flu virus.

Officials confirmed on Thursday that preliminary testing of a dead bird found in Causeway Bay had indicated it was suspected to have died of H5 avian influenza.

Further confirmatory tests are still being conducted, but officials have already stepped up monitoring and precautionary measures and advised doctors to be on the lookout for human cases.

The carcass of the Scaly-breasted Munia was one of six dead birds found in the same area on December 31.

Tests are still being carried out on the other birds and it will be another week before the H5N1 virus can be confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in addition to regular inspections of local poultry farms and pet bird shops, the department would conduct a fresh round of visits to ensure precautionary measures against bird flu were in place.

"In view of this suspected case, we have phoned poultry farmers reminding them to maintain precautions against avian influenza. Letters have also been issued to the farmers, pet bird shop owners, licence holders of pet poultry and racing pigeons reminding them that proper precautions must be taken," he said.

"We will visit villages again to ensure that no poultry is being kept illegally."

A major health scare

It is the first case to be discovered in wild birds in Hong Kong since March last year.

Between January 10 and March 22 2006, 15 wild birds, one backyard chicken and a chicken smuggled from China tested positive for the virus.

However, no human cases were detected of the deadly virus which according to the World Health Organisation has killed 157 people, mainly in Asia, since 2003.

Hong Kong has stringent precuationary measures in place to guard against an outbreak of bird flu since 1997 when the virus crossed the species barrier in the former British colony and infected 18 people, of which six died.

Sapa-dpa

- SAPA