Sources with the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday reported a
new bird flu outbreak in north China's Shanxi Province. The case was identified after
chickens died in poultry farms in Changzi County of Changzhi
City.
Samples of the dead poultry were sent to the national bird flu
laboratory where the H5N1 virus was identified, said the
ministry.
The local government has launched an emergency response and
quarantined the infected area. Experts and veterinarians have
started disinfection and culling poultry in the region to prevent
further outbreaks.
The local veterinarian department has stepped up publicity
campaigns to ensure residents know how to protect themselves
against the virus.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also sent a team of experts to
Changzi and reported the case to international organizations.
China has recorded more than 30 outbreaks of bird flu since last
October. The last outbreak occurred in remote Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region earlier this
month and the local government said it had been contained two days
after the confirmation.
A human case of bird flu was confirmed on June 15 in south
China's Guangdong Province, bringing the number of
people infected to 19.
China's chief veterinary officer Jia Youling warned last week
that the virus was on the rise among migratory birds this year.
A total of 1,168 of these birds have been found dead in Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region up to June 1. The
disease was affecting more species of birds than last year, Jia
said. He noted the Ministry of Agriculture would target migration
routes for future supervision especially in areas with a record of
infection.
(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2006)