China raises level of vigilance against bird flu

cctv.com 01-21-2004 10:15

China has raised its level of alert against bird flu. The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered veterinary and quarantine units nationwide to send daily reports on their situation. It was the second emergency notice from the Ministry, following the outbreak of bird flu in Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

The Ministry of Agriculture says the Chinese mainland has so far reported no cases of the bird flu disease, but an around-the-clock monitoring mechanism will be adopted throughout the country during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday.

It has banned the import of live poultry and products from regions hit by bird flu outbreaks, and has tightened inspection measures at borders.

The ministry says all poultry within three kilometers of a bird flu case, if there is any, will have to be slaughtered. And all poultry within five kilometers of the polluted site will have to be vaccinated. It adds that local governments should prepare for any emergency.

Beijing's poultry farms have been isolated, while the capital has increased the disinfections of its farms, slaughterhouses and markets.

The disease is believed to be transmitted to humans only through direct contact with infected birds. There have been no reports of it spreading from person to person.

Editor:Zheng  Source:CCTV.com