A dead bird found in Causeway Bay on New Year's Eve carried the lethal H5N1 bird flu virus, the government said last night. The case is the first confirmed in Hong Kong since March.
Officials warned the public to avoid contact with wild birds and live poultry and to observe good hygiene.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department reported last night that the bird - one of six scaly-breasted munias found dead in Leighton Road near Leighton Plaza last Sunday - had tested positive for H5N1 bird flu.
Tests on the other five munias are continuing.
A spokesman for the department said people 'should avoid personal contact with wild birds and live poultry and clean their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with them'.
The department said its staff had contacted community organisations, including religious groups, to warn them not to release birds for luck, since the birds would have little chance of surviving in the wild.
'We reminded the groups [of existing advice], sought their co-operation, and asked them to spread the word to their members,' the spokesman said.
