The recent outbreak of bird flu on the outskirts of Tacheng City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is under control, with all domestic fowl killed in the affected area.

From June 5 up to now, there were no bird flu cases reported in the city, said Chen Guangming, head of the regional epidemic control headquarters.

On June 1, geese death was reported at a backyard farm 32 kilometers from the city proper of Tacheng. Three days later, the national bird flu reference laboratory confirmed the death to be caused by a deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. The number of geese infected totaled 1,042, 460 of which have died, Chen said.

The governments of Tacheng prefecture and Tacheng city have ordered all the poultry markets in Tacheng City to be closed down and had 17,014 birds slaughtered in the affected area, most of them chickens and geese. Roads to the affected area have been blocked and traffic has been closed.

Veterinaries have been assigned to do vaccination in Tacheng City, with bacterin in sufficient supply.

Chen said no human infections were reported and there was no indication of the spread of the disease.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2005)