May 15, 2006

Hong Kong seeks to verify chicken deaths in Chinese city of Dalian

Hong Kong is checking media reports of the deaths of 30,000 chickens on a farm in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, a government spokesman said on Monday (May 15).

The farm, owned by the Dalian Hanwei Chicken Farm Co, houses two million hens and supplies eggs to Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau, the South China Morning Post reported.

Health authorities in Hong Kong are trying to verify these reports with Chinese authorities but have received no replies so far, the spokesman said.

A manager of the company's subsidiary in Beijing said in a TV interview she was told 20,000 to 30,000 chickens died more than a week ago after receiving vaccinations meant to protect them from bird flu.

The chicken deaths are stoking fears that eggs delivered to Hong Kong might have been contaminated. Unlike live chickens imports from China, which need to come from certified farms, the egg supply is largely unregulated although Chinese authorities do conduct random tests. 

Bird flu viruses can be found inside and on the surface of eggs laid by infected birds. The World Health Organization has also said that eggs from areas with outbreaks should not be consumed raw or partially cooked.