Hong Kong culls chickens to battle bird flu
Thursday, 22 December 2011
HONG KONG, Dec 21 (AFP): Hong Kong culled 17,000 chickens today and suspended live poultry imports for 21 days after three birds tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus.
Health chief York Chow announced the measures late Tuesday after a dead chicken at the city's main wholesale market and two wild birds tested positive for the virus, which can be fatal to humans.
Authorities raised the bird flu alert level to "serious" and suspended live poultry imports while they trace the origin of the infected chicken, meaning major disruptions to poultry supplies over the busy Christmas period.