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After conducting an autopsy and laboratory tests, the Ministry of Agriculture notified the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government that a large number of chickens at a chicken farm in Baiyun District in Guangzhou had died of coccidiosis, a spokesman for Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said today (March 2).
The farm in question was not a registered chicken farm for supplying chickens to Hong Kong.
"The HKSAR Government will continue to maintain close liaison with the Mainland authorities. Under the existing notification mechanism, the authorities concerned will inform their counterparts in case of outbreaks of plant and animal diseases or major food safety incidents.
"In addition, we will also continue our quarantine and inspection work on imported live poultry and closely monitor the situation in local farms," the spokesman said.
Ends/Thursday, March 2, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:24
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