DINGDANG TOWN, Guangxi, Feb. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Tang Bowen, magistrate of Long 'an County in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, announced Sunday morning the ending of isolation imposed on the county's Dingdang Town, which had been stricken by the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu late last month.

    It is the first bird flu-affected area in China relieved out of isolation. The move was based on the official prescription on lifting isolation imposed on highly pathogenic avian flu-afflicted areas after thorough examinations from Chinese agricultural experts.

    Since the bird flu broke out on Jan. 23, governments at all levels took resolute control measures, paving way for the day to lift the isolation, said, Bi Qiang, a regional government officialin charge of bird flu control.

    It had been confirmed that ducks dying in a farm in Dingdang Town, Long'an County, were caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus. The local governments slaughtered 14,000 poultry within a three km radius of the duck farm, and vaccinated all poultry within five km of the duck farm.

    The area had been closed off in accordance with China's Law on Animal Epidemic Prevention. Enditem