November 10, 2005

Chinese province Shandong pumps US$3.7 million against bird flu

Chinese province Shandong will be pumping in RMB30 million (US$37 million) to prevent bird flu from coming to the province, its provincial government said.

The farming province, which has about 2.5 billion poultry, or 14.7 percent of China's 17.4 billion poultry population, is under great pressure to keep itself free from bird flu.

The coastal province is also a habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds that fly from the north every winter.

Besides disinfecting all poultry farms in bordering areas and migratory bird resorts, the provincial authorities have ordered for an efficient monitoring, diagnosis, and timely reporting of any bird flu case.

Bird flu outbreaks have been reported in provinces such as Anhui, Hunan and Liaoning, and in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.