The central government has directed all localities to strengthen efforts to prevent a possible outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, this autumn and winter. 

According to a circular recently issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, strict poultry immunization programs should be conducted in key areas and birds should be quarantined before and after butchering.

“Sterilization of facilities should also be carefully done to remove all potential accumulations. Farms, slaughterhouses, markets, refrigerated warehouses and transport equipment should be disinfected,” it says.

In the autumn and winter, chances increase for the deadly H5N1 virus to be carried over distances by migrating birds.

“Various localities of the country must understand the current situation and increase their sense of responsibility in preventing the highly pathogenic bird flu,” the circular says.

It directs local authorities to coordinate plans to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.

Forty-two people in Thailand and Vietnam have been infected with the virus since last winter, and 30 of them have died. Last week, a young Thai woman died in what is believed to be the first documented human-to-human transmission of the virus.

According to the World Health Organization, Thai officials have concluded that the mother could have acquired the infection either from some environmental source or while caring for her daughter, and that this represents a probable case of human-to-human transmission.

Testing is currently under way to determine whether the virus has mutated.

The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization have released new guidelines for combating and preventing outbreaks of bird flu following recent outbreaks in Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The new guidelines stress the importance of surveillance and early detection, which the agencies say governments in East Asia are not doing well enough.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2004)