On December 29, 1997, the government of Hong Kong orders the destruction of farm-raised chickens and other poultry in an attempt to halt the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza, or "bird flu." The virus had previously been reported in a highly contagious form in a goose in China. The outbreak in Hong Kong had also marked the transmission of the virus from birds to humans, resulting in 18 cases in humans of which 6 proved fatal. Later outbreaks beginning in 2003-04 spread H5N1 beyond the borders of China and Hong Kong, spreading across other Asian countries including South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand among others. Later waves of the virus spread the disease to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, infecting both animals and humans alike. Research into the H5N1 virus has raised concerns regarding the rapid potential for the the virus to mutate into a highly contagious version that is capable of airborne transmission between mammals which could cause a pandemic or even be utilized in an act of bioterrorism.