China has decided to halt exports of poultry and related
products from three additional regions with suspected bird flu
outbreaks, announced the State Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (SAQSIQ) Friday.
The areas affected by the export ban include Shanghai, east
China's Anhui Province and south China's Guangdong Province,
increasing the possible bird flu-hit provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities on the Chinese mainland to six.
In the announcement, the SAQSIQ urged local quarantine
institutions to stop exports of poultry and related products from
central China's Hubei and Hunan provinces, where bird flu cases
have been confirmed, and halt the exports of poultry and fowl
products from Shanghai, Anhui and Guangdong to other regions
including Hong Kong and Macao.
The SAQSIQ also asked quarantine bureaus of Guangdong Province,
Shenzhen and Zhuhai to strengthen quarantine supervision over
poultry providers to Hong Kong and Macao.
The suspected bird flu cases are under investigation for further
diagnosis and no human cases of bird flu have been reported in the
affected areas. Concerned local governments have forced sweeping
poultry slaughter, quarantine and vaccination measures to control
the epidemic.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Commerce issued an
announcement jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, General
Administration of Customs and the SAQSIQ, prohibiting the exports
of poultry products from southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region, Hubei and Hunan, where first bird flu cases on Chinese
mainland were reported on Tuesday.?
(People’s Daily January 31, 2004)