By Liu Jian
Recently the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has struck some Asian economies. The disease is also found in some places in China. The Chinese government attaches great importance to its prevention and control. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have made instructions on many occasions, and the State Council has organized meetings to hear reports, work out measures and make arrangements for combating the disease. In response to the requirements of the State Council, the Ministry of Agriculture ( MOA) and some other departments have taken immediate actions and put the disease control as their priority work. Measures have been adopted and arrangements made to prevent it from spreading. Now I would to give you a briefing on the following three points.
Bird flu in China
The highly pathogenic avian influenza is a deadly bird disease caused by the A-type flu virus. By February 4, there had been altogether 23 HPAI cases in China, including 18 suspected cases, and 5 confirmed ones since the first confirmed case was announced on January 27. The diseased birds in China total 56417, in which 49236 have died, and totally 1215057 birds have been culled. The existing cases have been brought under control. No case of transmission to human beings has been found.
HPAI in China has 3 features. Firstly, it occurs in spots that widely scatter. Secondly, the crisis is relatively more serious in the South, concentrating in central China, east China and south China. Thirdly, the virulence of the virus is strong. Besides causing disease and death in large number of chickens, the sub-type H5N1 strain can also cause disease and death in other poultry such as ducks and geese. In the above cases, 16 cases are with chickens, 5 with ducks, and 2 with geese.
Due to scattering poultry production of China, viruses spread easily in winter and spring. In addition, some parts of our animal disease prevention system are weak and vulnerable, and the public has limited knowledge about the disease and ways to prevent it. Therefore, it remains an arduous task for China to prevent and control the disease.
Disease control
Given the severe epidemic situation, the Chinese Government has adopted the following control measures.
First, strengthening organizational structure for leadership. The National Bird Flu Prevention Headquarters has been established. The State Council has worked out the contingency plan for the nationwide prevention. And the Ministry of Agriculture has instituted and issued 11 supportive technical regulations, and fortified its internal leadership for bird flu prevention. Local governments and administrative agencies in charge of livestock and veterinary affairs in the key areas are operating as in state of emergency.
Second, prompt mass culling and bringing the epidemic situation under control. In accordance with the provisions in the Law on Animal Epidemic Prevention, emergency response measures were launched promptly in the affected areas,, including intensified mass culling and compulsory vaccination. All the poultry within 3 kilometers around the affected locality are killed and disposed of on bio-safety basis. Compulsory vaccination is imposed on all the poultry within 5 kilometers around the affected area according to set standards. Live poultry markets within 10 kilometers are forced to close down. The affected spots, areas and endangered areas are disinfected on large scale.
Third, strictly regulating the diagnosis and reporting system. Highly pathogenic avian influenza daily reporting system has been implemented. Four-level diagnosis procedure has been established, including the following steps 1) initial clinic diagnosis by experts; 2) suspect case confirmation by the provincial lab; 3) virus strain identification by the national reference lab; and 4) final confirmation and announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Fourth, organizing urgent production and storage of vaccines. Increased vaccine production and storage have been properly and timely arranged in light of the epidemic situation. Two new vaccine plants have been certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, and production will start soon.
Fifth, guidance and supervision have been reinforced. Since the outbreak of the disease, the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant ministries have sent more that ten supervision teams to the affected areas to supervise the implementation of the control and culling measures, and guide epidemic prevention. Health department has worked relevant prevention schemes to prevent its transmission to human beings, started epidemic surveillance, and adopted prevention measures to protect human health.
Sixth, active international cooperation. After the outbreak, the Ministry of Agriculture promptly notified the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization and answered inquiries from mass media and foreign embassies to China. Meanwhile, the quality supervision agencies and customs agencies have tightened inspection and quarantine at border ports to prevent the epidemic from spreading into China.
Work arrangements for the next stage
The prevention and control principle adopted by the Chinese government is to strengthen leadership, increase coordination, rely on science, carry out prevention and control on the basis of laws and regulations, mobilize the vast majority masses for prevention and control, and take decisive disposal measures. In order to make the prevention and control successful, the Chinese government requires departments concerned in various locations to continue strengthening their respective efforts in this regard.
Firstly, stamp out decisively bird flu at the infected spots to prevent spread of the infectious disease. Take decisive measures to blockade the infected areas attacked by the HPAI, carry out culling and bio-safety disposal, kill all poultry at infected spots and in surrounding areas within 3 kilometers around these infected spots, and take compulsory vaccination in poultry in areas at risk within 5 kilometers around these infected spots. Take decisive measures to resolutely prevent spread of bird flu.
Secondly, lose no time in taking prevention and control measures in non-infected areas. Put principle focus of prevention and control on surrounding areas of the infected places, key production regions, key breeder farms, large-scale poultry farms, specialized large poultry-farming households, large transportation households, and large processing households.
Thirdly, launch medical monitoring and prevent rigorously bird-to-human transmission. In infected areas, people coming into contact with poultry must strengthen their vigilance against the disease in a down-to-earth manner through necessary protective equipment. Efforts should be made to promote awareness of sanitary safety and improve self-protection against diseases. Carrying out medical monitoring on key groups of people, and making early detection, early reporting, early quarantine and early medical treatment conscientiously should be conducted.
Fourthly, ascertain the founding for prevention of animal diseases, and make an explicit policy of compensation. In areas attacked by the HPAI, reasonable compensation shall be made to losses from killing poultry. Compulsory vaccination shall be free of charge. Increasing financial input to prevention of animal diseases and promoting the development of animal disease prevention system should be highlighted.
Fifthly, reinforce inspection and quarantine of exporting, strictly prevent the introduction and spread of the disease in the country. Stringent control of exports quarantine, ruthlessly cracking down on smuggling poultry and poultry-based products shall be taken. We shall enhance management of poultry markets and monitoring of diseases, and ban live poultry and relevant products from the infected areas from entering into domestic and foreign markets for a certain period of time.
Sixthly, undertake the prevention and control of the avian influenza through enhanced scientific research and publicity of popular science. The research institutions shall be mobilized to study on virus mutation, linkage between animal-born virus and human diseases and cross infection. With popularization of science, the people will increase their awareness and capability of disease control.
Seventhly, further improve and standardize the relevant disease reporting and handling system. Efforts shall be made to intensify the disease surveillance. Starting from Feb. 5, the Ministry of Agriculture will launch the new release system to inform the public of the epidemic situation and provide other relevant information. MOA spokesman for HPAI prevention and control will be Mr Jia Youling, Chief Officer for Animal Production and Health. We will improve the compensation policy for stamping out and compulsory immunization. There shall be an easy access to the necessary resources, including financial funds, vaccine, medicine, equipment and other in-kind materials as well as technical measures.
Eighthly, establish and implement the responsibility system for disease control. In line with the urgent circulation by the State Council, the heads of local governments shall be entirely responsible and liable while following strictly the working disciplines and they shall assume the responsibility for neglecting their duties. The National HPAI Prevention Headquarters will dispatch 5 inspection groups to 10 provinces shortly to carry out check up and monitoring work.
The Chinese government is confident in the fight against HPAI. At present, complete networks have been developed respectively for disease control and animal surveillance. 300 surveillance stations are directly under the control of MOA and 147 disease surveillance points along the borderline are in place. National reference labs and animal disease diagnostic labs are established at provincial and ministerial levels. The emergency plans and technical standards are developed for controlling animal diseases. With the help of the professionals in disease control and the people’s hardwork, and based on the experience gained from the SARS epidemic and animal disease control over the past years, the departments concerned at different levels, under the leadership of the CPC and the State Council, will joint hands in wining the battle against avian influenza.
(China.org.cn February 5, 2004)
