HONG KONG -- A strain of the deadly "bird flu" that killed six people in Hong Kong in 1997 has been found in the territory, the government said Friday.
The H5N1 avian virus was found this month after random tests of excrement samples taken from a batch of ducks and geese imported from mainland China.No human or fowl so far was known to have been infected, government officials said, and it was unclear if the strain was deadly.
It was the first time the virus had been found in Hong Kong since late 1997 and the first time ever the strain had been detected in the territory.
"This H5N1 virus, according to experts' analysis, is a distant relative of the H5N1 virus in 1997," Department of Health doctor K.H. Mak told a news conference.
He said it was possible the newly found strain could infect humans although there was no evidence of this.
"If somebody wants to postulate that this virus can affect humans, I think this is a reasonable postulation," he said. "We must not overlook its importance."
Mak said ducks and geese sold in Hong Kong were still safe to eat if well-cooked.
The new strain had just one gene in common with the virus that killed six people in 1997.