The Chinese government is determined to control the spread of
bird flu and prevent human infections of the disease, said Chinese
Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Friday.
China saw progress in the prevention and control of major
epidemics in animals, including bird flu, last year thanks to the
"correct leadership" of the central government and coordination by
local authorities, he said.
"The progress in prevention and control was better than expected
and the epidemic situation was more stable than expected too," he
told the conference on prevention and control of major animal
epidemics.
"However, we must clearly realize that the prevention and
control of the epidemics such as bird flu are a long-term arduous
task, which needs consistent effort," he noted.
Hui said bird flu was currently in a high-prevalence season.
Outbreaks in neighboring countries were frequent and the number of
human cases was rising, posing threats to China's control of the
disease.
"We need to make a full evaluation and preparations and stay on
high alert," said Hui.
He instructed local governments and departments to fully
implement the vaccination policy, making sure the level of
vaccinated poultry remained high, and enhance surveillance to
control the disease in affected areas.
The prevention of human infection must be strengthened as well,
said Hui, noting that patients must be treated by all means
possible and the infection channels must be identified as soon as
possible.
More efforts should also be paid in tightening the inspection
and quarantine of animals and animal products at borders, so as to
stop the disease from entering or leaving China.
Local authorities must continue regulating poultry markets and
strictly carry out quarantine measures at poultry slaughtering or
production sites, said Hui.
In addition, departments should speed up the establishment of
systems to better track the sources of outbreaks, while improving
the management of veterinarians and the application of scientific
research results.
Hui stressed the leadership of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China and the State Council, and called for more
coordinated efforts in enforcing vaccination, timely reporting and
emergency response in fighting bird flu.
Experts fear the H5N1 bird flu virus could mutate quickly to
allow it to be easily transmitted among humans, which might trigger
a global pandemic.
About 47,000 poultry birds died in 10 outbreaks of bird flu in
seven provinces on the Chinese mainland last year, with another
2.94 million fowls were culled, said the Ministry of Agriculture in
November.
The virus has infected 22 Chinese since 2003 and killed 14. The
latest human case was a 37-year-old farmer in east China's Anhui
Province, who had recovered before his case was reported on January
10.
The Chinese government has ordered the vaccination of millions
of poultry birds, and strengthened surveillance and reporting
systems at grassroots levels. People diagnosed with pneumonia with
an unknown cause were also given special medical attention and
treatment.
(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2007)