HONG KONG — More than 17,000 chickens were culled at a Hong Kong market by health authorities after one chicken carcass was discovered to be infected with H5NI avian influenza, according to The Associated Press.

On Dec. 21, Hong Kong officials said the bird tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. As a result, live poultry imports have been banned for three weeks as authorities scramble to determine whether the infected chicken was imported or from one of Hong Kong’s 30 chicken farms.

All 30 farms have since been inspected by local agriculture officials, and nothing unusual was uncovered. Since first detected in 2003, 331 people throughout the world have died from avian influenza.