VZCZCXRO9888
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #0275 0430931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120931Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6880
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 3937
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 1768
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 7596
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1390
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH PRIORITY 0835
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 0417
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY UNCLAS HONG KONG 000275 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, AIWG, OES/IHA, MED; HHS FOR OGHA - 
STEIGER, HICKEY; CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:              
SUBJECT: MAINLAND POULTRY WASHES UP ON HONG KONG'S SHORES 
 
1.(U) Between 29 January and 9 February, 33 bird carcasses 
washed up on isolated stretches of Hong Kong,s western 
coastline, including at least 19 domesticated chickens and 
six domesticated ducks.  Eleven of the birds have tested 
positive for Avian Influenza to date (nine confirmed H5N1). 
Local media speculate the birds may have been dumped by 
smugglers trying to bring them to Hong Kong over the Lunar 
New Year.  Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation 
Department (AFCD) officials continue to aggressively search 
the beaches and villages along the shoreline where the birds 
were found, but have yet to confirm their origin.  Health 
authorities do not believe there is an immediate increased 
health risk as long as individuals avoid contact with dead or 
sick birds and take normal health precautions. 
 
2.(SBU) The Director of AFCD told EconOff on February 10 that 
most of the birds were severely decomposed and appeared to 
have drifted for some time before washing up on Lantau 
Island,s western shore.  The majority of the birds were 
found in three groups discovered close together on February 
2nd and 3rd.  She confirmed smuggling was a possible source 
but believed this was unlikely, as drift pattern studies put 
the birds far from normal smuggling routes.  She speculated 
the birds may have been deliberately dumped in the Pearl 
River or its tributaries in mainland China by farmers seeking 
to avoid detection and the subsequent culling of their 
livestock. 
DONOVAN