# 2535
No surprise here, of course.
Most observers expected that this most recent outbreak of H5 infection among poultry in Hong Kong would turn out to be the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.
Dec 11, 7:20 AM EST
HK confirms H5N1 bird flu hits local farm
By DIKKY SINN
Associated Press WriterHONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong authorities confirmed Thursday that the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu has caused an outbreak at a local chicken farm.
Latest tests showed three chickens found dead in the farm had the highly lethal virus. They were earlier tested positive for the H5 virus on Tuesday.
"We can now confirm it's the H5N1 strain," said spokeswoman Jolly Choi for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Choi added no new measures were required other than those that have been implemented.
Meanwhile the question of how the H5N1 virus ended up on a Hong Kong farm, one that supposedly practiced sophisticated biosecurity, remains unanswered.
One potential route of introduction that has been mentioned has been the smuggling of infected eggs from Mainland China.
A hat tip to Alaska Denise for this article posted on Flutrackers.
Hong Kong bird flu outbreak could be due to smuggled eggs: industry
HONG KONG (AFP) — Smuggled fertilised eggs from China containing infected chicken embryos could be the origin of the latest bird flu outbreak at a Hong Kong poultry farm, trade representatives said Thursday.
"There is a very big connection between the outbreak and smuggled fertilised eggs," Tsui Ming-tuen, chairman of Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers Association, told AFP following a meeting with his members.
Smuggling has grown since Hong Kong banned the import of one-day-old chickens from China earlier this year to prevent cross-border infection, according to the association.
The eggs, imported ostensibly for sale as food, contain embryos less than a week from hatching which could have contracted the bird flu virus from their mothers, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.
Not everyone agrees with this assessment, including the owner of the farm where the virus was discovered.
Hong Kong Food & Health Secretary Dr. York Chow has called upon the Industry to back up claims that the smuggling of infected eggs led to the introduction of the virus.
(Hat tip Kobie on the Flu Wiki)
December 11, 2008
Avian flu
Health chief calls for smuggling proof
Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow has called on the poultry trade to provide evidence to back its claims the smuggling of fertilised eggs is the cause of the recent avian influenza outbreak.
Dr Chow said today the outbreak source remains unconfirmed and is being investigated, however, the virus has been confirmed as H5N1.
The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department inspects chicken farms regularly and records the number of chicken breeders, young chicks and fertilised eggs. Preliminary figures show no significant change in the numbers on Hong Kong farms, but as the trade said it is common practice to smuggle eggs, the Government will do more checks in the coming days to ensure the system is complied with.
Dr Chow said the Government has sent a letter reminding the trade to report unlawful activities like smuggling, but no submissions have been received.
However the virus arrived, it most likely came from mainland China.
Exactly how prevalent the virus might be in China is a subject of some debate.
We do know that each year a couple of dozen infected migratory birds are discovered in Hong Kong and the New Territories.
Given the relatively small size of Hong Kong, compared to the mainland, the concern is that a good many more infected birds may exist in the wild in neighboring provinces.
The Chinese press is government controlled, and Reporters Without Borders ranks China as 167th out of 173 countries in freedom of the press. Despite this, we do occasionally get reports of outbreaks in poultry, and sporadic human infections in China.
Many observers fear that the true incidence of bird flu is under reported in China, as it probably is in many other regions of the world.
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