China alert for bird flu outbreak as season changes
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-06 11:05
China's vice agricultural minister on Thursday ordered local officials to
stay vigilant for possible bird flu as the season began to change.
"The autumn and winter are the prime period for bird flu outbreak, officials
should be aware of the stern situation and should not underestimate the
difficulties in virus control," said Yin Chengjie, the vice minister of
agriculture.
Addressing a televised workshop on bird flu control, Yin said the virus
prevention situation in China is still "serious" despite the generally stable
situation at present.
The transport of live fowls might spread the virus, migrant birds would
possibly trigger new outbreak, and we still have shortfalls in prevention that
urgently needs to be overcome, Yin said.
"We should not underestimate the harms bird flu cause to the people' life,"
Yin said, ordering the local governments to enhance virus immunization before
Oct. 20.
The ministry Wednesday reported a new outbreak of bird flu that has killed
about 1,000 domestic poultry in a village in the country's northwestern Ningxia
Hui Autonomous Region.
It is the second case of bird flue outbreak for the week, following another
found in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sept. 27, which
killed 985 chickens.
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