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WHO: China measures 'almost textbook'
(AFP/China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-18 07:12
WHO praises China containment measures
China has the world's biggest poultry industry, with billion of chickens
existing in cramped conditions and close to humans, especially in rural areas.
Adding to the danger is that three of the world's major bird migratory routes
pass through China. Migratory birds are regarded as the main carriers of the
virus around the world.
In Liaoning, the scene of four of the outbreaks, farmers have also been
banned from raising their chickens outdoors in an attempt to stop them coming
into contact with migratory birds.
In the capital Beijing, all live poultry and bird markets were shut down
early this month.
China has also ordered the country's whole poultry stock of 1.4 billion to be
vaccinated as the expense of central and local governments.
Bekedam praised the Chinese government's containment measures as "almost
textbook".
In an effort to reassure the nation, Premier Wen Jiabao said China would
defeat the bird flu just as it overcame the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
crisis more than two years ago.
China is stepping up efforts in studying the efficiency of traditional
Chinese medicine to help prevent or control human cases of bird flu, Xinhua news
agency said.
The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine has launched a
working group to supervise and coordinate the study, according to the
agency.
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