Officials in south China's Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) are working to prevent the spread of red fire ants.

Chen Zhongnan, head of the Guangdong Plants Protection Station, said Thursday that a province-wide investigation has begun to find out how many places have been affected by the ants, which were discovered in Wuchuan in Zhanjiang City last week.

Insects bearing features of red fire ants were also found in a Hong Kong wetland park on Wednesday. Samples are being sent to the Chinese mainland, Japan and the UK for examination, York Chow, the HKSAR's secretary for health, welfare and food, said on Thursday.

The ants, belonging to the species Solenopsis invicta, are indigenous to South America, but spread to the US in the 1930s and to Australia in 2001. They can cause serious agricultural losses and are more aggressive than other ants, with painful stings.

"Guangdong's Agriculture Department and Health Department have joined hands to organize the investigation team in an effort to examine and identify the ants," said Chen Zhongnan. "The province has already begun destroying ant mounds using pesticide and poisonous baits. It is not difficult to kill the ants once identified."

Chen sought to allay fears over the ants' threat to humans. "As far as we know, it is not as serious as some reports claimed, that the sting could endanger life."

He suggested people stung by ants should seek medical treatment immediately so as to prevent the wound from worsening. "The ants have undoubtedly brought harm to plants and crops, but I cannot say how much financial and stock loss has taken place."

Chen added that authorities have released information to farmers on how to prevent the ants from harming crops and themselves.

Chen Chaofa, a Hong Kong potted plants wholesaler, said some media reports have hyped the ants' menace, and have subsequently harmed his business. Tightened quarantine procedures had already slowed down exports.

The HKSAR government has set up a special task force to deal with the suspected ants found there. "They are new to Hong Kong. We need to assess how they would affect our ecology and how widely they have spread," York Chow said.

Department staff have started disinfecting the area of the park and a contingency plan has been drawn up in case they are identified as red fire ants. Over 300 officers have been mobilized to patrol country parks and inspect local floral farms in the coming days.

To ensure all pot plants being sent to local farms and markets are free from pests, all imported plants are being inspected and disinfected at a special treatment area in Ta Kwu Ling.

"Since there are very few agricultural activities in Hong Kong, it would not be too difficult for us to control the situation should we find them here," Chow added.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2005)