I understand people's concern but think they are over-reacting. In crowded Hong Kong most of us don't have a garden for cats and dogs to chase birds in. This drastically reduces the chances of contact.

In addition, all the dogs and cats in question were wild or strays, not domestic.

Most pet owners in Hong Kong take good care of their animals. If they ensure their pets are vaccinated and their food is well cooked, there should not be any problems.

The newspapers reported recently that a cat called Freddy was dumped at the SPCA because his owner found him playing with a dead bird. What worries me is that lots of people may do the same thing, which will cause problems for the SPCA.

It is a good idea to report wild cats and dogs to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department as they pose a general health hazard.

But if you are afraid of cats and dogs simply because of H5N1 you might as well lock yourself up at home, because any human you bump into in the street might also be a carrier.

Annie Tai, 16

Shung Tak Catholic English College

Yes, I think so. The death from bird flu of an Egyptian woman last week brings the toll to more than 100 worldwide since 1997. With a frightening human mortality rate of 54 per cent, the disease is now also contagious to tigers, cats, dogs and humans, according to the World Health Organisation.

Keeping cats and dogs is unsafe now, even in Hong Kong. Scientists have found that the H5N1 virus has mutated to jump the species barrier. If your cats and dogs have direct contact with a diseased bird they can catch bird flu too. In turn, when you touch your pets you expose yourself to the virus.

I am not telling you to abandon your cats and dogs. Stray animals pose an even greater threat to Hong Kong's health. My point is that we have to understand thoroughly the risk of keeping pets when the possibility of an avian flu outbreak exists and be prepared for the worst. Make sure you wash your hands with soap every time you touch an animal and report any cases of illness to the vet.

Bird flu has swept across continents and caused more than $10 billion damage to the poultry industry. With the recent discovery of H5N1 in a dog in the Caspian nation of Azerbaijan and three cats in Germany, we should never underestimate the danger of the virus evolving.