The director of Hong Kong's agriculture, fisheries and conservation department said Wednesday the order affects about 470 shops, and that an estimated 3,500 birds will be killed.

Poultry on farms is not expected to be affected by the culls.

Hong Kong was the scene of the first known human infections with bird flu in 1997. Six people died in that outbreak.

The World Health Organization says bird flu has killed 241 people around the world since a second outbreak started in 2003.

Experts fear the virus could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person, creating a pandemic.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

The announcement of the Hong Kong Poultry Cull by Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Cheung Siu is published in today's eMaxHealth.