23 December 2010
Hong Kong authorities confirmed that a dead bird found in the southern Chinese territory, the island of Lantau, had tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus.
The dead chicken was found on the island shore on December 18 and the carcass was in a complete decomposed state. Officials are investigating how it may have got there.
The Hong Kong government is particularly worried about this incident because there is no poultry farm within the 3 kilometers of the island. Even the villages nearby do not have any family owning even a single bird.
The last case of a human tested positive for avian influenza virus in Hong Kong was in November this year. An old woman was found with the H5N1 virus.