(AFP/China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-18 07:12

WHO praises China containment measures

China has the world's biggest poultry industry, with billion of chickens existing in cramped conditions and close to humans, especially in rural areas.

Adding to the danger is that three of the world's major bird migratory routes pass through China. Migratory birds are regarded as the main carriers of the virus around the world.

In Liaoning, the scene of four of the outbreaks, farmers have also been banned from raising their chickens outdoors in an attempt to stop them coming into contact with migratory birds.

In the capital Beijing, all live poultry and bird markets were shut down early this month.

China has also ordered the country's whole poultry stock of 1.4 billion to be vaccinated as the expense of central and local governments.

Bekedam praised the Chinese government's containment measures as "almost textbook".

In an effort to reassure the nation, Premier Wen Jiabao said China would defeat the bird flu just as it overcame the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome crisis more than two years ago.

China is stepping up efforts in studying the efficiency of traditional Chinese medicine to help prevent or control human cases of bird flu, Xinhua news agency said.

The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine has launched a working group to supervise and coordinate the study, according to the agency.

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