China Saturday reported two new suspected bird flu cases in
central China's Hubei Province and south China's Guangdong
Province, said sources with the Ministry of Agriculture.
The ministry received reports Saturday, saying two suspected
bird flu cases have occurred in Ezhou City of Hubei and Chao'an
County of Guangdong, following three confirmed cases and three
suspected outbreaks on the Chinese mainland.
The local governments forced sweeping slaughter and quarantine
measures immediately and sent in related samples to the
Harbin-based National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory. The epidemic
has been brought under control, said sources with the ministry. No
human infections have been found in the two regions.
The ministry has dispatched supervision teams to help the local
governments fight against the bird flu epidemic.
The two outbreaks have been reported to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations and the World Health
Organization. Hong Kong and Macao have also been informed of the
new epidemic.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2004)