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Hong Kong confirms outbreak of bird flu virus
Hong Kong on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a chicken farm.
- Agencies
- Published: 14:22 December 11, 2008
Hong Kong: Hong Kong on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a chicken farm.
Authorities culled thousands of chickens after the H5N1 outbreak was discovered occurred near the border with the mainland.
"It has been confirmed as H5N1," said a government spokeswoman citing an Assistant Director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Thomas Sit.
Chicken traders claim fertilised eggs smuggled from mainland China in contravention of Hong Kong's strict bird flu control measures may be spreading the disease.
Hong Kong's health chief said investigations are under way but added that inspections of local farms had revealed nothing suspicious.
"If some industry people are doing this it would be extremely inappropriate and irresponsible. If people have evidence I hope they can provide these details so we can follow up," said Health Secretary York Chow.
"We aren't ruling out any possibilities, though the H5N1 source is not likely to have come from inside the farm but to have come from outside," said Chow.
Chow said only one farm showed that H5 avian flu after a series of extensive lab tests, suggesting the outbreak had been effectively contained for now.
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