Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Lau Sin-pang says sufficient measures are in place to minimise the risk of a bird flu outbreak among local chickens and birds, adding that surveillance and inspections will be stepped up when necessary.

Speaking during a visit to the department's laboratory in Sheung Shui today, Mr Lau said the department has been vigilant in implementing measures to keep the risk to a minimum.

On alert: Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Lau Sin-pang (left) says the bird flu virus can be isolated through egg inoculation (middle), and be detected through polymerase chain reaction tests which take just a few hours.

These measures include:

* vigorous enforcement of biosecurity measures in local chicken farms;

* vaccination of chickens against avian flu; and

* rest days in wholesale and retail markets.

Mr Lau said both imported and local chickens are inspected and tested before they were put on sale.

Moreover, a surveillance programme of wild birds and their droppings is in place to see if such birds carry the avian flu virus.

For the first 10 months of this year, a total of more than 100,000 poultry and other birds had been tested for the presence of avian flu. Only two birds were confirmed to have the virus.

As the winter season will pose a greater threat, the department will be on high alert and step up measures as necessary, Mr Lau added.