Stringent bird flu monitoring on a daily basis has been stepped up in China
Stringent bird flu monitoring on a daily basis has been stepped up in China, the official Xinhua news agency has reported.
Following two out breaks of the much dreaded Avian influenza or “bird flu” caused by H5N1 strain virus, reported in China’s north-west regions two weeks ago. China has accelerated efforts to monitor bird flu status on a daily basis. At 86 monitoring stations. The public at large and officials have been urged to keep an alert vigil and report any incident off illness ,death of poultry or other migratory birds. A huge influx of more than 100,000 migratory birds is expected to cross the country in search of warmer climes from Russia and Mongolia. Beijing’s Muncipal Park Bureau has reported that it has so far monitored 122,000 migratory birds but no evidence of an avian influenza outbreak has been elicited so far.Yet another report by Xinhua news agency informs that about three million domestic bird have been inoculated so far in Mongolia after the last outbreak of bird flu in the northwestern regions of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia which concurrently also led to the culling of over 2000 birds there. Although China did no face any loss of human lives during this outbreak officials do not want to take any chances as China has already lost 14 people due to this deadly viral infection in previous outbreaks.
Scientists have already warned of a grim possibility of a mutation in the genetic make-up of the virus that causes bird flu that could enable ‘man-to-man’ infections also Dearth of funds, being understaffed and lack of suitable vaccines are some of the other hurdles that China faces today to tackle this killer disease that is stalking around devouring our ‘winged’ friends.
This winter all officials in China are therefore prepared to take every precaution to tackle and control this virus from causing more damages to birds and man.
Source-Medindia
MTS
