As more bird flu cases were spotted across China, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine have intensified poultry market surveillance while at the same time ensuring meat supply.

In addition to a daily report on market demand of daily necessities of the country's 36 major cities, the commercial departments of the provinces and regions where bird flu cases were found have intensified the surveillance of the local supermarkets and community marketplaces to maintain market stability.

Avian product export from Guangxi, Hunan and Hubei, where bird flu cases have been found, has been suspended by the local quality supervision, inspection and quarantine organizations. And all the poultry processing factories within the bird flu affected-regions have been closed down.

Poultry markets in bird flu-affected areas have also been closed down by local industry and commercial administrative organizations, and market patrol has been stepped up in the transition areas between bird flu-affected and unaffected areas.

All poultry markets in bird flu-hit area ordered to close down

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce on Saturday issued a notice, urging the closing of poultry markets and the banning of poultry trade in the bird flu-affected area in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region where the country's first bird flu case was spotted.

The notice requires its subordinate body in Guangxi region to strictly crack down on illegal poultry trade in the bird flu-hit areas and intensify the market patrol at the juncture areas between virus-hit areas and virus-unaffected areas in an effort to prevent and control the bird flu virus from spreading.

The notice also urged the closing of poultry markets whose sanitation conditions are poor in bird flu-unaffected areas.

If any suspected bird flu cases were spotted in markets, they must be reported to local governments and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, said the notice.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2004)