China informed the United Nations Food and Agricultural
Organization and the World Health Organization (WHO) of its bird
flu epidemic on Tuesday, the day the deadly virus was confirmed to
have been found in the country.
On Tuesday, the national bird flu reference laboratory confirmed
that the death of ducks in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region was caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu
virus.
Soon afterwards, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of
Health held emergency meetings with the UN Food and Agricultural
Organization's officer-in-charge in China Robert Brown and WHO's
representative in China Henk Bekedam, respectively, notifying them
of the latest developments of the epidemic in the country and the
measures that had been taken.
After listening to the agriculture ministry's report on the
epidemic and the measures the Chinese government had taken in
accordance with the country's Law on Animal Epidemic Prevention,
Brown thanked the ministry for the timely reporting of the disease
and nodded to the measures, expressing confidence in China's
capability in preventing the epidemic from further spreading.
He said the UN Food and Agricultural Organization gave high
attention to the development of bird flu in Asia, including China,
and stands ready to give China its full support.
After listening to the health ministry's report, Bekedam said
China's timely notification demonstrates the Chinese government's
openness and transparency in treating the epidemic.
He said China's fight against the severe acute respiratory
syndrome last year has left the international community with a deep
impression, and he believed the Chinese government would do even
better now in dealing with the bird flu.
Although the disease has not spread to humans, Bekedam said
efforts should be enhanced in containing its transmission from
poultry to humans. He pledged the willingness of the WHO to help
China in preventing and treating the disease and to further step up
the two sides' cooperation.
The ministries of agriculture and health thanked the two
international organizations for their support to the Chinese
government, and expressed hopes to further strengthen exchanges and
cooperation with relevant international organizations in preventing
and treating the bird flu.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2004)