A suspected outbreak of the deadly H5N1-type bird flu was reported in a chicken farm in the suburbs of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

Sources with the regional bureau of agriculture and animal husbandry said the regional Party and government authorities had organized manpower to carry out strict measures in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic after the avian influenza was reported.

According to the sources, 2,608 chickens on the farm, which belongs to the Regional Institute of Animal Husbandry Science, were culled with their bodies properly handled. The institute compound has been thoroughly disinfected and quarantined.

No similar cases were reported in the other parts of the plateau region thus far, said a spokesman with the regional bureau of agriculture and animal husbandry.

In accordance with the requirements for preventing and limiting the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the avian influenza, the autonomous region has adopted measures such as emergency inoculation of all fowls five km away from the venue of the suspected outbreak, tightened the monitoring of all breeding farms in Lhasa, and launched a daily pandemic reporting mechanism.

Up to now, vaccines for water fowls have been distributed to all areas across Tibet except Ngari Prefecture.

2005/08/12
Source: Xinhuanet