Chinese songbirds bring bird flu to Taiwan

Taiwan has reported its first case of bird flu in a batch of songbirds smuggled from mainland China by a pet shop owner.

Shih Wen-yi, a deputy director of Taiwan's Center for Disease Control, said the island was on high alert after samples collected from the birds tested positive for the H5N1 virus, the South China Morning Post reported Friday.

Eight out of 46 birds tested were found to be infected, Shih said. He said police had detained a Chinese crewman from the ship on which the birds were brought to Taiwan.

Taiwan's coast guard discovered the shipment of 1,037 birds while inspecting a Panamanian cargo ship. The birds, which were found in the Chinese crewman's cabin, included hill mynahs, black-naped orioles and Red-billed Leiothrix. They allegedly were headed for a pet shop owned by a native of China's Fujian province.

Some 276 birds had died during the voyage, and are suspected of having had the deadly virus.

No human infections were reported among the crewmen or the 40 health and customs officials who handled the birds.

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