Hong Kong officials find bird flu virus in dead crow

Hong Kong: Officials have found a pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus in a dead crow in a busy Hong Kong district, government spokeswoman said on Monday.

The crow, which was found in a public garbage can on Wednesday, has the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, which is easily transferable.

Hong Kong actively monitors the appearance of the virus between October and March, as it may indicate the level of activity of the virus in mainland China.

“House crows are common in Hong Kong. We have no idea if it came from elsewhere, how it was infected," the spokeswoman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said.

Experts fear the virus, which is widespread in poultry in parts of Asia, may mutate into a form that is easily passed from human to human.