Special report: Worldwide fight against bird flu

   

Inspectors examine a live poultry stall at an agricultural and sideline products market in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 7, 2005.  (Xinhua photo)

BEIJING, Nov. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- All live poultry trade and downtown poultry feeding was temporarily suspended here as of Monday, an effort by the municipal authority to prevent an outbreak of bird flu.

    In compliance with the central government's measures against bird flu, Beijing has suspended poultry trading and culling in all its 168 markets, poultry feeding in downtown areas and poultry imports from regions outside the national capital, according to the headquarters in charge of vital animal epidemic prevention andcontrol.

    The municipal government also ordered the closing of bird markets, the cessation of domesticated pigeon flying and the quarantine of imported poultry products through land, railroad and air.

    Officials with the Beijing Industrial and Commercial Bureau said those who disobey the orders will face stern penalty.

    

Empty cages are seen in Guanyuan Market of birds, flowers, insects and fish in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 7, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

The Chinese central government has committed to allocating two billion yuan (25 million US dollars) out of this year's central budget to set up a bird flu prevention and control fund and createa national headquarters to supervise the work.

    China has slaughtered innumerable sick poultry after bird flu was spotted in various regions this year.

    So far China's Ministry of Health has reported three pneumonia cases with unidentified causes in Xiangtan County, central-south China's Hunan Province, where an H5N1 bird flu epidemic broke out recently.

    Experts said they would not rule out the possibility of human infection of the deadly H5N1 bird flu, according to a spokesman for the ministry. Enditem