Foreign media have been allowed into the Chinese mainland's
first confirmed bird flu site to see for themselves the health of
the residents.
The journalists toured the quarantined Dingdang Township in
Long'an county, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in
the first access by foreign journalists since avian influenza was
reported on Jan. 27 on the Chinese mainland.
They were permitted to enter the disease-hit duck farm and
interview its owner, Huang Shengde, who reported massive deaths of
his ducks on Jan. 23. Four days later, his duck field was confirmed
as affected by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Huang, who has since been under quarantine, was in good
health.
"I had heard rumors that Huang was also affected and sick, but
now he looks good and healthy," said Tong Jingzhi, a Reuters
cameraman.
"Medical staff come and take my temperature every day and send
daily necessities," Huang told the media.
Reuters photographer Niu Guang said he thought controls over the
infected site were tough, but life was normal in the non-affected
areas.
About 14 reporters from 10 media organizations participated in
the trip.
"We are willing to invite overseas media because this will help
people around the world understand what's happening there," said
Zhan Anling, an official with the Information Office of the State
Council, which organized the visit.
Early this month, some foreign media published articles
declaring that human infections of bird flu had been found in China
and that China was the source of the epidemic. The official
spokesman of the Chinese government firmly refuted the claims as
groundless.
Medical experts conducted thorough examinations after the first
outbreak and they still lack enough evidence to confirm the source
of the epidemic, said Bi Qiang, Guangxi's senior official in charge
of treating bird flu, in a briefing with the overseas
reporters.
Some scientists said migratory birds might be the source, but
they didn't have enough proof, Bi said.
Transparency, openness, and cooperation were needed to fight the
disease, he said, adding that the government was trying to do
this.
So far, the disease had been contained and no human infections
reported, he said.
Bird flu has already caused deaths in Vietnam and Thailand.
After the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory
confirmed the ducks at Huang Shengde's farm died of the deadly H5N1
bird flu virus, the local government slaughtered all poultry within
a three-kilometer radius and vaccination was implemented within
five kilometers. The affected site was then cordoned off and
remains in quarantine.
(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2004)