March 2, 2005

Bird flu prevention beefed up by China

The Information Office of the State Council Ge Zhirong, deputy director-general of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said at a press conference held on Tuesday that China would adopt various measures and set up a series of regulations and systems to intensify the prevention and control of avian flu; that China would build, as soon as possible, joint defense systems against dangerous infectious diseases, which lay stress on the prevention and control of HIDS, plague, malaria dengue and other mosquito-carried infectious diseases such as West Nile Fever. Until now no bird flu occurrence has been discovered in China.

Ge Zhirong said to ensure the security of ports the AQSIQ will give priority to the inspection and quarantine of questionable biologic and chemical objects at ports and passes; put emphasis on the prevention and control of HIDS, plague, malaria dengue and other mosquito-carried infectious diseases such as West Nile Fever; construct, as soon as possible, a joint defense system against plague in five northern provinces, a joint defense system against tropical diseases in eight southern provinces and a joint defense system against media of infectious diseases in four provinces around the Bohai Bay.