Zambia tests for bird flu after chickens found dead

LUSAKA, June 20 (Reuters) Zambia is testing residents in the tourist resort city of Livingstone for bird flu after chickens were found dead in their owners' backyards, a health official said today.

''We are investigating the matter but so far there has been no confirmation of an outbreak,'' Simon Miti, permanent secretary at the health ministry, said.

It was not clear how many chickens had died, but Miti said several residents had been sent to hospital for tests after they cooked and ate the dead birds.

A health official in Livingstone, 480 km (298 miles) south of the capital Lusaka, said some of the birds had been sent to South Africa for testing.

REUTERS MP BST0038