Yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed two more H5N1
avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in the country's northwestern
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the central province of
Hunan.
The ministry said 288 poultry died on November 22 in Shanshan
County of Xinjiang. On Friday, the regional veterinary department
decided it could have been caused by the H5N1 strain of bird flu,
which was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory
yesterday.
By Monday night, Xinjiang's authorities had culled 52,162
poultry within three kilometers of the affected area.
The laboratory also confirmed an outbreak that killed 390
chickens and 12 ducks in Laobutou Village, Qilidian Town of
Lingling District in Hunan's prefecture of Yongzhou on November
18.
By yesterday evening, 75,428 poultry had been culled in
Lingling.
The ministry said it and local governments are dealing with the
two outbreaks in accordance with emergency plans. It said it has
also sent experts to the affected areas to oversee quarantine work
and disease control efforts.
They are the 28th and 29th outbreaks to be confirmed amongst
birds in China this year, 25 of which have been reported since
October 19.
(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2005)