Compulsory inoculation is being carried out on poultry raised in areas within five kilometers of regions in four cities of central China's Hubei Province, where confirmed or suspected bird flu cases are reported.

Mei Zu'en, deputy head of the provincial bureau of agriculture, said that from Sunday through to Friday, they are inoculating domestic fowl with 7.5 million dosages provided by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Mei, confirmed or suspected bird flu cases were found in the four cities of Wuxue, Ezhou, Yichang and Xiangfan.

Upon the outbreak of the bird flu, agricultural and health officials at various levels in the province have attached great attention to the epidemic, and have made efforts to control the avian disease from further spreading.

Chen Baihuai, head of the provincial bureau of agriculture, pledged to make greater efforts in monitoring, reporting and popularizing ways of bird flu prevention, and in stopping bird flu from spreading to human beings.

Up to now, no other cases of bird flu and no bird flu infections in human beings have be found in the province.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2004)