HONG KONG, June 11 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities in Hong Kong have ordered a cull of all live poultry at markets and shops after the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected at four markets, local media reported on Wednesday.
The cull will not apply to farms and distribution centers.
Last Saturday some 2,700 chickens were culled when H5N1 subtype, which is deadly to humans, was detected at a market.
Although no cases of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 have yet been reported, scientists fear the virus could mutate into a strain that could pass easily between people, causing a global pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization, avian influenza has so far killed 241 people out of 383 confirmed cases worldwide.
