March 13, 2012

China's Tibet placed on state of alert

China's Tibet Autonomous Region has been placed into a state of alert following Nepal's report of bird flu case in February that has left at least 20,000 chickens dead, local authorities stated Friday (Mar 9).

The regional bureau of entry-exit inspection and quarantine has carried out strict health checks in Zham Port on the China-Nepal border and banned the entry of animals and related products susceptible to bird flu, a bureau spokesman said.

Meanwhile, inspection and quarantine staff have been ordered to disinfect all vehicles from Nepal to prevent the spread of epidemic, the spokesman said.

In addition, local authorities have been watching the bird flu situation in Nepal and keeping close contact with Nepalese authorities, he added.

So far, no bird flu has been reported in the Tibetan areas around the Zham Port.