By IANS, [RxPG] Hong Kong people were warned Monday to avoid wild birds after a second magpie robin within a month was found dead with the H5N1 avian flu virus.
Tests were carried out on the Oriental magpie robin after it was found dead Thursday near a village house in the rural Sha Tau Kok district.
A spokesman for the territory's agriculture, fisheries and conservation department confirmed Monday that the bird had been found to be carrying the H5N1 avian flu virus.
Earlier in January, another bird of the same species was also found dead of the avian flu virus, raising fears that the virus might be spreading among Hong Kong's wild bird population.
The spokesman said that government inspectors had stepped up checks on wild birds and chicken farms in the area but had not found any signs of an outbreak.
Six people died and 12 others were infected in 1997 in the first modern outbreak of avian flu to cross the species barrier and infect humans in Hong Kong.
The city of 6.8 million has since imposed strict controls on poultry markets, and there have been no human cases since, despite outbreaks around the region.
The spokesman said: "People should avoid personal contact with wild birds and live poultry and clean their hands thoroughly if they do come into contact with them."
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