The two municipal councils will finish destroying all 55,000 fowls in Macau on Sunday, to prevent the outbreak of bird flu in Macau.

The action was decided after two imported geese were confirmed positive to H5N1 virus on Friday.

The first stage of the action started on Friday (18th) evening, in which some 28,000 fowls from the local market, poultry stores and some 7000 chickens from three farms in the Coloane Island were collected, slaughtered and incinerated.

The remaining 20,000 chickens in the farms were slaughtered in the second stage of the action, which will begin on Saturday (19th) evening.

The whole action will be completed before mid-day of Sunday (20th).

Discussion has been conducted between the government and poultry operators, including farmers, retailers and wholesaler, the participants agreed upon the compensation plan while subsidy plan to employees will be discussed later.

Importation of fowls was halted since Friday until further notice. "It is certain that there will be no supply of fresh poultry until the end of the month," said Mr. Sales Marques, the President of the Provisional Municipal Council of Macau.

The infected geese, found during a routine check on imported fowls from the mainland, were confirmed to be positive to H5N1 virus after a thorough check conducted in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, no chicken, imported or locally raised, was reported dead due to the virus. "Routine inspection and sampling are conducted on fowls being raised locally," said Joaquim Madeira Carvalho, the president of the Provisional Municipal Council of the Island.

There is no evidence at this point that the virus could cause diseases in human.

"The action was taken as prevention only," said Lau Si Io, Vice president of Provisional Municipal Council of Macau "yet it is necessary, to prevent the virus being spread locally".

Discussion will be conducted with the authority of Zhuhai, in order to enhance the quarantine system for fowl importation.