on december 29, 1997, Hong Kong’s administration started slaughtering all poultry in the region in an effort to stop the spread of the new strain of influenza virus, a (h5n 1). By January 3, 1998, several unanswered questions remained scattered amidst the rotting carcasses of more than a million birds. Questions regarding the spread of the virus in humans, the possibility of an epidemic, the effectiveness of mass slaughter of poultry in the region and its consequences.

The mass culling of poultry has drawn flak from various quarters, particularly on the cost of the exercise and the way it was carried out. The operation was conducted by personnel from seven governmental departments. After being dis