Chicken carcass confirmed positive for H5N1 virus in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, March 12 (Chinese media) -- A chicken carcass found in Hong Kong's Tung

Ping Chau was confirmed to be H5N1 positive after a series of laboratory tests,

the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong (AFCD) said

Thursday.

A spokesman of AFCD said that the carcass was found floating in the sea off

Kang Lau Shek, Tung Ping Chau, on March 2. It was highly decomposed when found

and required a series of confirmatory tests for avian influenza. Test results

available on Thursday confirmed that the dead bird was H5N1 positive.

AFCD announced on March 6 that a chicken carcass found at the same location

was confirmed to be H5N1 positive. No more poultry carcass was discovered there

since March 2.

The spokesman said there were no poultry farms within three kilometers of

where the dead bird was found. No unauthorized keeping of poultry has been

observed during inspections.