Hong Kong  - Hong Kong has halted imports of chickens from Britain after tests on poultry at a farm in Oxfordshire were positive for an avian flu virus, a government spokesman said Friday.

The Centre for Food Safety said it had suspended all import applications for poultry and poultry products after the confirmation of the H7 virus, which poses a low threat to humans.

"The decision was taken following confirmation of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H7 on a farm in Oxfordshire," a centre spokesman said. "We are seeking further information about the outbreak from the relevant authorities."

Hong Kong imported about 4,300 tons of frozen poultry products from Britain last year.

An outbreak of the more deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu in 1997 in Hong Kong led to the first incident in recent history of bird flu jumping the species barrier. It infected 18 humans, of whom six died.

In response, Hong Kong put in place stringent checks and regulations on the selling and import of poultry, and no further human cases have been reported in the former British colony.

Since 2003, H5N1 has infected 383 people in 15 countries in Asia and Africa and killed 241. (dpa)