Geese, Ducks May Also Be Slaughtered

A senior health official warned Saturday that geese, ducks and other birds may have to be slaughtered if the recent mass killing of chickens failed to wipe out the so-called bird flu.

Another person--a 19-year-old woman--was found to have the virus, the government said, raising the number of confirmed cases to 16. Four people have died. The woman was hospitalized in critical condition.

Dr. Margaret Chan, director of health, said the eradication of Hong Kong’s 1.3 million chickens was the first step in eliminating the deadly virus.

On Friday, officials admitted that they did a sloppy job in the mass gassing of the chickens. Some birds survived the slaughter, and dogs were seen scampering off with carcasses.