Health News

Jun 9, 2008, 11:03 GMT

Bird flu fears recede in Hong Kong as markets are given all-clear

Hong Kong - Fears of a bird flu outbreak in Hong Kong were receding Monday after tests on all markets in the city of 6.9 million failed to find further traces of the H5N1 virus. The former British colony went on bird flu alert Saturday after swabs taken at a market in the Shamshuipo district found traces of the virus that led to a deadly outbreak in Hong Kong 11 years ago. The market was closed down, chickens from mainland China were banned and tests were ordered on all poultry markets in the city, a move which saw the sales of chickens plunge 30 per cent Sunday. However, the government announced Monday that no traces of the virus had been found at any other market in the city or in farms in Hong Kong or in southern China. Assistant director for agriculture Thomas Sit said investigations into the source of the virus were continuing and customs officers were checking if affected chickens were smuggled into Hong Kong. Workers in face masks and protective suits Saturday killed 2,700 chickens at an infected market in a chilling reminder of the bird culls in the city in the 1990s. Hong Kong was home to the first modern case of bird flu to jump the species barrier and infect humans in 1997 when the H5N1 virus killed six people and infected 12 others. Since then, thanks largely to stringent checks and mass culls when any cases are discovered, there have been no further cases of humans infected by bird flu in Hong Kong despite regional outbreaks.

And Also

The Decade: Film's 10 Best Music Moments In The Aughts

The Decade: Film's 10 Best Music Moments In The Aughts - Cinema Blend
GASP: Goldstriker creates world's most expensive iPhone - The Tech Herald
Mysteries of "Zhu Zhu Hamsters," "Al Alberts," and "White House Party Crashers" Solved - PopEater
Chris Rock interview, Sons of Anarchy and Woody Allen shout out for 'Madagascar' star

Your Talkback on this Story

Similar articles

Hong Kong scientists produce chicken feed with bird flu vaccine
Baby girl hospitalized in Hong Kong with mild form of bird flu
Hong Kong expert warns flu vaccine for chickens losing efficacy
Hong Kong orders chicken cull as bird flu found at more markets
Chicken sales plummet in Hong Kong after bird flu is detected

Latest Headlines in Health

Older Talkback

Health: Index

: News; Features

Latest Pics

Michaele Salahi

From Sites we Like

Late for your flight? No problem, just have your secretary email a bomb threat to the airport [Dumbass]
Purse-snatcher tries to rob "Geek Love" author Katherine Dunn, learns the hard way that authors can also be trained street boxers [Cool]
Recently divorced woman sees Jesus on her iron, displaying to the world why she was recently divorced [Strange]

More Not News from Fark

In Monsters and Critics

: Arts; Books; DVD; Gaming; Lifestyle; Movies; Music; News; People; Science & Nature; Sport; TV; Archives
Other Languages and Sites: Deutschland (Monsters and Critics); The Tech Herald; Free Games

Entertainment: Arts; Books; DVD; Gaming; Movies; Music; People; Soundtracks; TV
Media: Celebrity Photos; Movie Pictures; Movie Trailers; Movie Posters; Theatre Stills; Celebrity Video; Music Video
Released this week: Movies - USA; Movies - UK; DVD - USA
Distractions: Online Games; Daily Crossword; Sudoku Classic; Daily Jigsaw

World News: US; UK; Americas; Europe; Middle East; Asia Pacific; South Asia; Africa; Business; Education; Health
Science and Tech: Science and Nature; Technology
Lifestyle: Autos; Fashion; Life; Travel

Corporate

: About; Advertise; Contact; The Team; Vacancies; Privacy; RSS; Site Map; Terms; Webmasters

The Fine Print

© 2003 - 2009 by Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All photos are copyright their respective owners and are used under license or with permission. * Note M&C cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.

Servers supplied by Servint