BBC China declares bird flu emergency

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>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Sunday, 22 May, 2005, 8:00 GMT 01:00 -07:00:US/Pacific

>

>

> * China declares bird flu emergency *

>China introduces emergency measures after avian

>flu kills migratory birds in the west of the

>country.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4570197.stm

>

China declares bird flu emergency

China has introduced emergency measures to

prevent the spread of bird flu after discovering

that migratory birds were killed by the virus

earlier this month.

 

The measures included basic quarantine and

disinfection steps, the state-run Xinhua news

agency said.

 

China also banned people from entering migratory

birds' habitats and urged them to limit contact

with domesticated birds, such as poultry.

 

The virus has killed at least 53 people in south-east Asia since late 2003.

 

'Curbing epidemic'

 

The Chinese ministry of agriculture said the

dead migratory birds were found in the remote

western province of Qinghai in early May.

 

It said they were all killed by the deadly H5N1

strain of bird flu that has jumped from avians to

humans.

 

The ministry urged the country " to pay keen

attention to the new confirmed cases of migratory

birds and to take effective measures to curb

possibly spreading the epidemic, " Xinhua said.

 

However, officials stressed that the public " should not be too worried " .

 

China's most recent confirmed case of bird flu

occurred last July in the east of the country.

 

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed

in eight south-east Asian countries since 2003,

including Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.

 

The World Health Organization has warned of the

great potential threat should the virus develop

the capacity to spread easily between humans.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4570197.stm

 

Published: 2005/05/22 05:50:05 GMT

 

© BBC MMV

 

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