World Wide Fund (WWF) Hong Kong announced on Monday that no sample of wild birds tested positive for H5N1 virus at Mai Po Nature Reserve.

According to information from WWF, a total of 16,000 samples have been taken from wild birds at the Mai Po Nature Reserve, a famous birdwatching spot in Hong Kong, since 2003 and none of them show positive for H5N1.

This means that the great majority of the migratory birds at Mai Po and around Deep Bay are free of the avian flu virus.

The risk of catching H5N1 from wild birds at Mai Po is extremely low as contact with H5N1 infected birds is needed for the virus to transfer to people and wild birds avoid humans by nature, according to WWF.

Since the first outbreak of avian flu in 1997, samples are taken annually from wild birds at Mai Po to test for H5N1 virus by the Microbiology Department of The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

WWF is taking additional measures to further minimize the risk to the staff, visitors and other users of catching H5N1 from wild birds at Mai Po.

These measures include placing disinfectant hand washes at selected points around the reserve and stepping up the monitoring of wild birds.

In the event of H5N1 being detected at Mai Po, WWF will coordinate with the Hong Kong Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Center for Health Protection and HKU's Department of Microbiology to determine the most appropriate course of action.

This may involve closing the Reserve to the general public and minimizing staff presence at the site until a suitable time when it is deemed safe, based on the latest scientific information.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2005)