January 26, 2005

China steps up bird flu preventive measures

The local governments across China have been urged to step up preventive measures against an outbreak of bird flu.

Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin told a seminar in Beijing that China faces a "severe" situation in the prevention and control of avian flu.

Bird flu has killed 29 people in neighboring Vietnam since the end of 2003, nine of them since December.

In Thailand, which is close to southern China, 12 people were killed last year and the country has gone on high alert after more outbreaks were reported this month.

Du urged local authorities to strengthen efforts to vaccinate poultry on farms and to tighten supervision of poultry markets. Authorities must also educate farmers in preventing the disease.

More than 120 million birds were killed or culled in two major bird flu outbreaks throughout Asia last year.