China intensifies human bird flu prevention
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-19 00:31

The Ministry of Agriculture issued Thursday an emergency plan to prevent and control outbreak of human infection of bird flu and reduce damages the epidemic brings to the health of the general public and the society.

According to the plan, in case of outbreak of human infection, local animal epidemic prevention and monitoring institutions are required to take emergency measures to monitor poultry living in areas within three kilometers of radius from the site where the infected human beings live and places the infected human has visited mostly recently. Meanwhile, samples should be taken from the dejecta of wild poultry and polluted water in ponds to get immediate knowledge of infection of domestic and wild poultry and pollution of local environment.

For the purpose of identifying the origin of the human infection, local animal epidemic prevention and monitoring institutions are also asked to cooperate with health departments to probe epidemiology and clinical symptoms of concerned patient and to find out whether the patient has contacted poultry died of disease, wild poultry or has traveled overseas.

Timely report and exchange of bird flu monitoring information are also urged for the purpose of preventing and controlling bird flu spread.

The emergency plan has the stipulation on timely informing the general public of the early warning of bird flu outbreaks and concrete measures to deal with possible outbreak of bird flu and to prevent and control such cases.

Many other localities across the country have also stepped up efforts to prevent possible occurrence of human infection of bird flu.

In Beijing, people entering and leaving residential courtyards are required to show permits starting Thursday and local schools are required to report in case students have a fever.

Local hospitals also moved to take challenge of possible human infection.

You'an Hospital, one of the hospitals designed to treat human cases of bird flu, is fully prepared and can establish special wards with 60 beds within four hours, said Liu Hui, a staff with the general office of the hospital.

The hospital has also organized special teams for treating human infection, disinfection, report of epidemic situation, and supply of medical materials.

In fact, China has worked for prevention of human infection of bird flu and for the purposing of reducing damages to people since the first outbreak of bird flu was reported in the country in October.