February 18, 2008

HK finds second bird with H5N1 flu virus

Authorities said Friday (February 15) that a wild bird found dead in Hong Kong has tested positive for the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus strain - the territory's second case in two days.

The dead oriental magpie robin, native to Asia, was found at a food market Sunday according to a statement from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

It was Hong Kong's fourth announcement of an H5N1 case in a bird this year, and came a day after authorities said a grey heron tested positive for the virus.

Last year, Hong Kong discovered 21 wild birds with H5N1 but has not suffered a major outbreak of the disease since the virus killed six people in 1997, prompting the government to slaughter the territory's entire poultry population of about 1.5 million birds.

At least 226 people have died of bird flu worldwide since late 2003, according to the World Health Organization. Most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds, but health experts worry the virus could mutate into a form that passes easily among humans, sparking a pandemic.