H5N1 Confirmed in More Waterfowl in Hong Kong
Recombinomics Commentary 12:56
February 14, 2008
A waterbird found dead in Hong Kong last week has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, agricultural officials said Thursday.
This is the third bird flu case to hit the city this year. A black-crowned heron at Hong Kong's Ocean Park, a major Hong Kong tourist attraction, was found to have been infected with the virus on February 1, closing the aviary for three weeks. A great Egret also tested positive for the killer strain last month.
The above comments describe recent H5N1 positive wild birds in Hong Kong. These discoveries are seasonal, and have been reported for the past several years. Last year, there was some speculation that the wild birds were impacted by the release of birds during religious ceremonies. However, that speculation had no scientific basis. These was no demonstration that ornamental birds were H5N1 positive or had infected the dead birds found in Hong Kong.
This season dead birds were identified late last year, prior to release of birds, eliminating ornamental birds as potential sources.
The wild birds are infected at this time of the year because migratory birds carry H5N1. In the Hong Kong region the dominant strain of H5N1 has been the Fujian (clade 2.3) strain, and similar results are expected this year.
Of note is the increase in H5N1 in birds and humans in northern Vietnam, raising questions about the lack of similar reports in southern China.
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