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After a 7-year-old girl became the first H7N9 case in Beijing, a 4-year-old boy in Beijing was found to have the H7N9 virus on April 14. Heads of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and experts took immediate action, and eight measures have been put forward to deal with H7N9.
Health workers obtained blood samples from pigeons in the boy’s village in Cuigezhuang township, Chaoyang district, Beijing. Serological tests of the samples were all negative.
Residences, pigeon booths, streets and pigeon cages in the area have been thoroughly disinfected. Pigeon droppings have been cleaned up as well.
Protective equipment, disinfection machines and disinfectants have been allocated for emergencies. Local departments have banned pigeon releasing and are stepping up disinfection work and routine inspections.
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture has put forward eight measures to intensify prevention and control tactics for H7N9 bird flu.
First, inspections of live poultry transactions and private slaughters should be intensified. An informant hotline (010-62255752) is open 24 hours a day.
Second, management of free-ranging poultry and livestock in urban areas should be strengthened.
Third, disinfection work, especially in high-risk areas, should be intensified. Recently, 78,663 farms have been disinfected. Disinfectants have been allocated to the farmers.
Fourth, vehicles carrying animals or animal products should be banned from entering Beijing through non-designated crossings.
Fifth, inspection of the epidemic situation in poultry farms, slaughter houses, zoos and parks should be strengthened.
Sixth, supervision work should be intensified. Beijing’s Bureau of Agriculture has set up five steering groups to guarantee the implementation of prevention and control measures in all districts and counties.
Seventh, emergency supplies should be increased in case the H7N9 epidemic spreads.
Finally, emergency reserves composed of veterinarians, animal husbandry professionals and related volunteers, should be trained.
