Preliminary testing of two dead birds collected in Kowloon has
indicated suspected cases of H5 avian influenza, a spokesman for
the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of
Hong Kong said here Thursday, adding that further tests are being
conducted.
One of them was a dead White-eye collected by AFCD staff on
Convair Drive, San Po Kong on Jan. 15 after being alerted by the
public.
The other involved a dead House Crow collected by AFCD staff
from Lai On Estate, Sham Shui Po on Jan. 16 upon referral from the
Housing Department.
The White-eyed is a common resident bird in Hong Kong but the
House Crow is an exotic species.
"We have been actively monitoring the population of House Crows
and will continue to deploy effective measures to reduce their
number," the spokesman said.
In 2006, 150 eggs and chicks of House Crows were removed and
some 90 individuals were collected by anesthetic baiting. With the
implementation of these measures, the local house crow population
has stabilized at about 250.
The spokesman said the AFCD had stepped up cleansing the Cheung
Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market and letters have been
issued to poultry farmers reminding them to maintain precautions
against avian influenza.
(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2007)