On Sunday, Vice Premier Hui
Liangyu ordered all localities and departments to work harder
to prevent the spread of avian influenza and any human
infections.
"We should concretely enhance our sense of urgency and
responsibility in the prevention and control of the highly
pathogenic bird flu," said Hui, who heads a national working team
on the prevention and control of the disease, at a national
conference.
Hui said the disease has become the number one killer for
China's poultry husbandry and a major threat to public health and
security.
"We must be clear-headed about this, conduct scientific
assessment and make ample preparations for it. We should by no
means slacken our vigilance," said Hui.
He stressed the necessity to put the interests of the people
first, give priorities to prevention, improve contingency
arrangements and implement a responsibility system.
Hui listed several tasks that need to be done, including beefing
up monitoring, alert and forecast systems, improving contingency
plans and arrangements, enhancing immunization, strengthening
international exchange and cooperation, and maintaining a sound
market environment for healthy poultry and related products.
Meanwhile, efforts should be made to establish a prevention and
control mechanism with long-lasting effects, he said.
He added that funds for animal epidemic prevention should be
increased, a team of veterinarians well trained and maintained,
research into epidemic prevention and control technology enhanced,
and vaccines and medicines prepared and stored up in advance.
"The mode of operation of poultry husbandry should also be
modified to ensure sustained and healthy development of the
sector," said Hui.
Liaoning culls 6 million poultry
?
Six million poultry have been culled in the bird flu-hit county of
Heishan, in northeast China's Liaoning Province, the local
government said on Sunday.
The cull lasted from Saturday evening to Sunday noon, with all
poultry slaughtered within a radius of three kilometers of the
epidemic site, said Wang Yunwen, deputy secretary-general of the
Jinzhou municipal government.
Local farmers actively cooperated with the government, he
said.
The farmers were being compensated for the culling. The county
allocated 9.6 million yuan (US$1.16 million) to the townships on
Sunday, he added.
Niu Dun, vice minister of agriculture, arrived at the county
with eleven experts. Three of them gave lectures on bird flu
prevention to about 150 grassroots officials on Sunday.
The local publicity department is also producing CDs of the
lectures and publishing booklets on bird flu prevention for
distribution among people living in the affected areas.
Local farmers found some chickens dying in Badaohao Township and
reported to the local government. The Ministry of Agriculture
confirmed the case as H5N1 bird flu on Thursday.
Heishan is located on the migratory birds' route from East Asia
to Australia, and more than 20 magpies and other wild birds have
been found dead from the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2005)