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Poultry products re-enter markets upon end of isolation in Tibetan city
2004-03-16
Xinhua
Lhasa: Today bustling trade can be seen again in the poultry product market in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, as the end of isolation was declared in this bird flu-hit area.
China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced on Tuesday morning the end of isolation in the last two bird flu-hit areas, calling an end to the 49-day campaign over the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
Another area which came out of isolation Tuesday was Nanning, capital city of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China.
China has stamped out all 49 bird flu outbreaks since the first one was confirmed in Dingdang Town, Guangxi's Long'an county on Jan.27.
Upon conclusion of the isolation, some fowl retailers in Lhasa let off firecrackers, a Chinese tradition to celebrate festivals, to hail the resumption in trade of live poultry in the city.
After one month of isolation, the Yaowangshan Market, the largest marketplace for live fowl in Lhasa and the site of the city's first bird flu case, had its quarantine seal taken off by market regulators Tuesday morning.
Yang Yuchun, an owner of the poultry farm in which the city's first bird flu death was reported, has longed for the removal of the isolation for days, as the avian epidemic cost him dearly.
"I understand the government's decision to slaughter live poultry and suspend the fowl market. The isolation measures have effectively controlled the outbreak of the bird flu," Yang said.
"After the fowl market is resumed, I will continue to trade live poultry. And I'm confident of offsetting my loss," Yang added.
Some citizens have started to buy live poultry at the Yaowangshan Market.
From now on, market regulators and quality inspectors in Lhasa will begin intensifying supervision over the live poultry trade in the city and do their best to prevent sick and low-quality fowl from entering the market, said Xu Fei, deputy director of the regional Administration of Industry and Commerce.
Poultry raising in areas within 3 km area around the Yaowangshan Market will not be allowed in the next six months, Xu added.
Since the first bird flu case was spotted, Lhasa has slaughtered 30,775 fowl and vaccinated another 99,739. People with high exposure to the disease were subjected to seven days of medical monitoring. After the monitoring ended, all were reported in good health, official of Lhasa municipal government said.
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