Hong Kong began culling 15,000 chickens on Wednesday, and suspended imports of live poultry from mainland China for 21 days after the H7 bird flu strain was discovered in a batch of chickens from the southern province of Guangdong.
Authorities also ordered the closure of the wholesale poultry market, where the virus was discovered. The chickens infected with the H7 avian flu were imported from a farm in Huizhou city across the border from Hong Kong, said the Secretary for Food and Health.
The Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department is culling all live poultry in the Cheung Sha Wan wholesale market, which is assigned to keep only imported poultry.