China yesterday confirmed three previously suspected outbreaks
of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, but said there have been no new
suspected cases reported on the Chinese mainland since
Tuesday.
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Bird flu infected regions include Huanggang City in Hubei and
Chenzhou City in Hunan, two provinces in central China, and
Baicheng City in Northeast China's Jilin Province.
The three suspected cases were confirmed by the National Avian
Influenza Reference Laboratory, according to the Ministry of
Agriculture.
The local governments have taken measures against the disease by
culling poultry in affected areas and imposing prompt quarantine
restrictions, said the ministry.
The reference laboratory also excluded three previously
suspected outbreaks reported in Anning and Xigu districts in
Lanzhou City as well as Jingyuan County located in Northwest
China's Gansu Province.
The World Health Organization (WHO) will provide 70,000 flu
vaccines to China for high-risk groups in bird flu-infected
regions, according to Julie Hall, a Beijing-based WHO infectious
disease expert.
Two Chinese experts are taking part in a WHO-sponsored training
programme in Thailand, which ends today, on the diagnosis and
epidemiology of bird flu. They are expected to bring back a bird
flu diagnosis reagent to help in research efforts, she said.
She said the WHO is now working with China on the development of
bird flu vaccines for human beings, which may require several
months of research and testing. China and the WHO are expected to
hold a seminar on the development and production of vaccines for
humans against the bird flu.
Chinese scientists are also working hard to analyze the virus
and develop effective vaccines under the co-ordination of the
Ministry of Science and Technology.
Experts hope to find the cause of the disease, it's epidemiology
and new spreading mechanism, according to sources from the
ministry.
The ministry has decided to allocate 100 million yuan (US$12
million) in special funds for the scientific research of bird flu
control and prevention.
So far, Chinese scientists have developed 22 new products and
technologies that help control and prevent the deadly virus,
including a bird flu vaccine, exposure suits and a disinfecting
agent.
China's efforts to control and prevent avian flu have recently
won praise from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Laurence Gleeson, consultant and senior animal disease expert
with the FAO, has called China's bird flu prevention and control
work "appropriate."
While conducting an investigation on Wednesday in Longan County,
in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where China's
first highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus case was
confirmed, Gleeson said: "On the basis of one investigation, I
cannot come to too many conclusions. However, the principles of
control of avian influenza appear to be closely followed in this
particular case."
"They have done everything," said the expert from the Australian
Animal Health Laboratory.
Gleeson, together with Xu Ji, assistant FAO representative to
China, conducted their research in the village of Yong'anli, less
than 2 kilometres from the site infected with bird flu,
investigating the extermination and vaccination of local poultry
and related compensation plans.
In another development, the FAO warned on Wednesday that killing
wild birds is not an appropriate measure to control the spread of
bird flu.
(China Daily February 20, 2004)