HK confirms dead bird carried H5N1 avian flu virus

HONG KONG, Jan 17 (Reuters) Hong Kong confirmed on Wednesday that a bird of prey found in the city carried the H5N1 virus, the second such case this month.

The dead crested goshawk was found on a hill behind a health clinic in built-up Shek Kip Mei district on January 9. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department confirmed the bird was infected with H5N1 after earlier tests revealed the H5 influenza virus.

Another bird, a scaly-breasted munia, also tested positive for the H5N1 virus on January 6. It had been found dead along with five other munias in the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay on New Year's Eve. The other birds tested negative.

REUTERS BDP BD0941