The quarantine ended Tuesday in Dazhu County, a place hit by a bird flu outbreak last December in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

About 1,800 chickens and ducks were reported dead between December 22 and 25 in Liuyan Village of Yangjia Township, and the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the outbreak of the H5N1 strain of the highly pathogenic avian flu on January 3.

Local government took strict quarantine measures after receiving the report of the poultry death. Poultry in the affected areas were culled.

Disinfecting stations were set up along all roads leading into the county. Meanwhile, the county shut down all its 54 live poultry markets.

No new outbreak was spotted in the county 21 days after the poultry culling in the affected area ended, and the provincial animal disease prevention center decided, after a check-up, that the quarantine could be lifted.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2006)