Hong Kong: Oriental Magpie Robin tests positive for H5N1 virus (1/4/10)

[Giuseppe]

Hong Kong: Oriental Magpie Robin tests positive for H5N1 virus (1/4/10)

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said today (January 4) that an Oriental Magpie Robin found in Hok Tau, Pat Sin Leng was confirmed to be H5N1 positive after a series of laboratory tests.

The bird carcass was found and collected on December 29 near the Hok Tau Management Centre in Pat Sin Leng Country Park.

The Oriental Magpie Robin is a common resident bird in Hong Kong.

A department spokesman reminded people to observe good personal hygiene.

"They should avoid personal contact with wild birds or live poultry and clean their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with them," he said.
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[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Hong Kong: Oriental Magpie Robin tests positive for H5N1 virus (1/4/10)

Bird flu confirmed in dead magpie robin

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

An oriental magpie robin found in Pat Sin Leng was confirmed to have had bird flu H5N1 yesterday - the first such discovery in 11 months.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department revealed the laboratory results yesterday.

The bird carcass was found and collected on December 29 near the Hok Tau Management Centre in Pat Sin Leng Country Park.

The oriental magpie robin is a common resident of Hong Kong.

A department spokesman reminded people to observe good personal hygiene.

"They should avoid personal contact with wild birds or live poultry and clean their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with them," he said.

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Last year, 16 dead birds were confirmed with H5N1 in Hong Kong, the last confirmed case in February was a chicken in Tai O.

The last heightened bird flu alert in Hong Kong was in December 2008 after health chiefs ordered the slaughter of 90,000 chickens and a three-week ban on live chicken imports and poultry sales from local farms.

Sixty-two outbreaks of bird flu in poultry were reported last year in 15 countries. The last human case was reported in Egypt in December. The 21-year-old woman survived.

There have been 282 deaths from bird flu since its resurgence in 2003.

Since the swine flu H1N1 pandemic began in April last year , bird flu outbreaks have declined.

As of December 27, worldwide more than 208 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported confirmed cases of pandemic flu, with at least 12,220 deaths.

STAFF REPORTER


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