Prevention: Wash hands before eating, when coming in to the office or home from outside. Basically, wash your hands often and thoroughly. Ensure poultry is cooked thoroughly before eating; only dine in hygenic locations.

Bloomberg report: "“There’s no doubt of an outbreak of bird flu in China, though the government hasn’t admitted it,” Lo said in a telephone interview today. “Inefficient communication between the Hong Kong and mainland authorities is an ongoing problem. Hong Kong has not been well-informed by the mainland.

"China hasn’t reported any cases of H5N1 among birds since December. The human cases show the virus must be circulating among birds, said Vincent Martin, a senior technical advisor on avian flu for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations."

Despite this, Straits Times report: "A TOTAL of 17 dead birds have washed up on beaches on one Hong Kong island in recent days, officials said, after the H5 bird flu virus was found in two ducks and a goose.

"Nine more birds were collected on Lantau island on Tuesday, including six chickens and a duck, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in a statement."

The current dry weather means birds may be de-hydrated and more susceptible to infection. This does not increase the chance of infection given exposure, it does increase the chance of exposure, thought this remains tiny. The end of winter brings migration of birds from the South towards Northerly regions including Dalian.

Stay clean. Of course, if you don't believe in evolution and of the virus adapting to humans, eat all the raw chicken you like, no reason to fear Bird Flu crossing to humans.

Image: "Chicken to be Slaughtered" (Anshan, Liaoning) http://flickr.com/photos/sonyasonya/2333008562/ Creative Commons Licence.