China's vice agricultural minister on Thursday ordered local
officials to stay vigilant for possible bird flu as the season
began to change.
"The autumn and winter are the prime period for bird flu
outbreak, officials should be aware of the stern situation and
should not underestimate the difficulties in virus control," said
Yin Chengjie, the vice minister of agriculture.
Addressing a televised workshop on bird flu control, Yin said
the virus prevention situation in China is still "serious" despite
the generally stable situation at present.
The transport of live fowls might spread the virus, migrant
birds would possibly trigger new outbreak, and we still have
shortfalls in prevention that urgently needs to be overcome, Yin
said.
"We should not underestimate the harms bird flu cause to the
people' life," Yin said, ordering the local governments to enhance
virus immunization before Oct. 20.
The ministry Wednesday reported a new outbreak of bird flu that
has killed about 1,000 domestic poultry in a village in the
country's northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
It is the second case of bird flue outbreak for the week,
following another found in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sept. 27,
which killed 985 chickens.
(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2006)