China Saturday reported two new suspected bird flu cases in central China's Hubei Province and south China's Guangdong Province, said sources with the Ministry of Agriculture.

The ministry received reports Saturday, saying two suspected bird flu cases have occurred in Ezhou City of Hubei and Chao'an County of Guangdong, following three confirmed cases and three suspected outbreaks on the Chinese mainland.

The local governments forced sweeping slaughter and quarantine measures immediately and sent in related samples to the Harbin-based National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory. The epidemic has been brought under control, said sources with the ministry. No human infections have been found in the two regions.

The ministry has dispatched supervision teams to help the local governments fight against the bird flu epidemic.

The two outbreaks have been reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Hong Kong and Macao have also been informed of the new epidemic.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce on Saturday issued a notice, urging the closing of poultry markets and the banning of poultry trade in the bird flu-affected area in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region where the country's first bird flu case was spotted.

The notice requires its subordinate body in Guangxi region to strictly crack down on illegal poultry trade in the bird flu-hit areas and intensify the market patrol at the juncture areas between virus-hit areas and virus-unaffected areas in an effort toprevent and control the bird flu virus from spreading.

The notice also urged the closing of poultry markets whose sanitation conditions are poor in bird flu-unaffected areas.

If any suspected bird flu cases were spotted in markets, they must be reported to local governments and the State Administrationfor Industry and Commerce, said the notice.

National Bird Flu Prevention Headquarters Founded

The State Council on Friday decided to establish the National Bird Flu Prevention Headquarters in an effort to intensify the prevention and control work on bird flu.

Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu was appointed director-general of the headquarters, and State Councilor Hua Jianmin was appointed deputy director-general.

The headquarters consists of the State Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs.

The headquarters office was located in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Close

Today's Top News		Top National News
+Nation reports 2 new suspected bird flu cases ( 2004-02-01) +WHO: investigate into sources of SARS cases ( 2004-02-01) +China clamps down on poultry trade ( 2004-02-01) +New bird flu cases found in Hubei, Hunan ( 2004-01-30) +Top US official questions motives behind referendum plans ( 2004-01-31)		+Shanghai reports 62 new patent applications every day ( 2004-02-01) +Shaolin Temple to undergo extensive repairs ( 2004-02-01) +China's first heterogenous cloned Asian antelope in good condition ( 2004-02-01) +WHO: investigate into sources of SARS cases ( 2004-02-01) +Nation reports 2 new suspected bird flu cases ( 2004-02-01)