Prevention and the preparation to fight any outbreak of a disease should be uppermost on the country's agenda in the quake-hit areas, academics said yesterday.

Rotting corpses and carcasses under the debris can cause an epidemic outbreak, Chen Huanchun, of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), said.

Such a thing is not uncommon after a natural disaster. "We must pay the greatest attention to it and be prepared to deal with any eventuality."

Addressing a seminar in Beijing, the microbiologist said: "An epidemic can break out even four weeks after the disaster, hence, this is the best time to get ready to deal with one."

The quake has claimed more than 40,000 human lives, he said. It has killed thousands of domestic and wild animals too, so their rotting carcasses are a health hazard.

Till May 18, more than 13 million heads of livestock and poultry had been reported dead. That number is likely to have increased by now.

Academic Li Ning said secondary disasters can be even more dreadful if epidemic prevention measures are not taken.

"Ninety of the 200 or so diseases that can be usually passed on from animals to human beings, and vice versa, have already been reported in the country," said the professor of animal genetics with China Agricultural University.

Some of them that can strike the quake-hit areas include anthrax, tetanus, cholera, colon bacillus, hepatitis A, flu, encephalitis B and rabies.

Adequate vaccine and other emergency medicines have to be stocked, Li said.

As the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has begun setting up 1 million temporary shelters, experts have suggested prevention of infectious diseases be integrated both in temporary and permanent rebuilding and relocation programs.

The CAE has set up an emergency response panel to study epidemic prevention and its suggestions will be submitted to the State Council soon.

Among the suggestions received are strengthening animal management and taking stronger measures to prevent food poisoning.

Carcasses should be buried in deep pits or burnt by animal epidemic prevention professionals far away from human habitation, farms, factories and water sources.

People should avoid contact with wild (or even domestic) animals to prevent the spread of disease, and use mosquito nets to guard against malaria and encephalitis.

(China Daily May 22, 2008)