Local government has lifted a bird flu quarantine in northwest China on Sunday after no new cases were reported. No new outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus strain were found in Turpan of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 21 days after some 35,000 poultry were slaughtered, according to the regional government.

No human infections were reported and the quarantined farmers that had close contact with the sick chickens have shown no symptoms of the disease. The Ministry of Agriculture has urged local authorities to beef up supervision and prevention measures and raise people's awareness to curb new outbreaks.

Bird flu, or Avian influenza, is a contagious disease of animal origin caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs.

The Ministry of Agriculture said in early December that the possibilities of regional bird flu outbreaks were "very high" in the winter and coming spring.

A comparatively warm winter this year has resulted in more migratory birds staying in the area, increasing the chances of bird flu outbreaks, said an official of the ministry. 

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2008)