With the human death toll from the bird flu outbreak rising to 15 in neighbouring countries yesterday, China is scrambling to stop the spread of avian influenza by stepping up culling of poultry, market inspections and vehicle checks.

The country yesterday slaughtered more chickens and implemented compulsory vaccination in two more areas -- Guandu District of Kunming, Yunnan's capital, and Gaolan County of Northwest China's Gansu Province, where suspected outbreaks of bird flu cases have been found.

The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday confirmed a previously suspected outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Chenggong County in Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

With the new report, China now has five confirmed cases and 18 suspected cases in a total of 12 regions spanning the Chinese mainland.

Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin yesterday assured two United Nations organizations that the bird flu situation in China is now basically under control, and that China can do a good job of preventing the spread of the highly contagious virus.

He told the representatives of the China offices of World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that China is willing to improve its current mechanism on reporting the situation to the UN organizations.

But Thailand, which has reported 19 suspected cases, confirmed its fifth death from the H5N1 virus yesterday.

Viet Nam reported its 10th bird flu death yesterday, a 17-year-old woman. All 15 deaths in Asia are believed to have resulted from direct contact with infected poultry.

To prevent people from getting infected with the bird flu virus, China's Ministry of Health yesterday asked local health authorities to start daily inspections of markets.

The ministry also asked localities to set up public hotlines and deal immediately with complaints about suspected illegal production and sale of poultry meat.

As for transportation, only animals, including poultry, with quarantine certification may be transported by rail, the Ministry of Railways said.

The railway sector has started an around-the-clock bird flu reporting system as of Tuesday, according to ministry sources.

Under the system, railway station workers have begun inspecting baggage from affected areas.

The Ministry of Communications yesterday also said it will make every effort to ensure that bird flu will not be spread from specific vessels and vehicles.

For one thing, buses coming from bird flu-contaminated areas are subject to disinfectant measures.

In Beijing, the city's largest road passenger transport company has resumed daily disinfection for all of its vehicles and bus stations.

Forestry authorities have also moved to save China's rare and endangered species of birds, particularly those breeding in captivity, from being infected by avian flu.

The State Forestry Administration (SFA) yesterday issued a circular suspending display and visitation of rare and endangered species of birds, especially those listed among the extremely endangered species like ibis and cranes.

The habitats of these species should be strictly decontaminated, with contingency plans ready for possible bird flu epidemics, the circular said.

Dubbed the "oriental jewel," ibis are one of the most endangered bird species in the world.

Although ibis once decreased to only seven in the world in the early 1980s, their numbers have increased to over 500 due to successful artificial incubation launched in China in 1989.

The circular also asked local forestry authorities to tighten up monitoring of birds living in wildlife rescue centres and breeding bases.

Experts for the Beijing-based China Wildlife Conservation Association also urged people yesterday to avoid direct contact with wild birds.

United Nations agencies were still in urgent meetings yesterday in Rome over how to deal with the bird flu sweeping across Asia.

Experts from three UN bodies the FAO, WHO and the World Organization for Animal Health hoped to work out strategies to help affected countries tackle the epidemic and prevent future outbreaks during their three-day meeting at the FAO's headquarters, which started on Tuesday.

"We do not have evidence of human-to-human spread as of yet," said Juan Lubroth, an animal health expert with the FAO.

However, experts expressed concerns over the possibility of the virus mutating into a form that passes easily between people.

"Today we are not at that stage," Joseph Domenech, head of the FAO's animal health department, said.

Peter Cordingley, spokesman for the WHO Western Pacific Regional office, yesterday said the virus appeared to be older and more established than initially thought and is spreading faster than experts can get to it.

(China Daily February 5, 2004)