China bird flu outbreak 'controlled': government

BEIJING: A bird flu outbreak in southern China has been brought under control after all poultry and other farm fowl in the affected area were destroyed, China's agricultural ministry said.   

"As of September 17, 36,130 ducks have been exterminated and destroyed. At present the epidemic has been brought under effective control," the ministry said in a notice posted on its website late Monday.   

The ministry earlier Monday had confirmed the H5N1 outbreak in farm-raised ducks in the Panyu district of Guangdong province, on the border with Hong Kong, which had first been detected by local authorities on September 5.   

Bird flu has so far infected at least 25 people in China, including 16 who later died. Officials have said there have been no reports of human bird flu cases in Panyu district.   

"Emergency enforced vaccinations have taken place in areas threatened by the epidemic that could be easily infected and all fowl in the infected area have been exterminated," the latest ministry statement said.   

"Veterinarian experts have also tested animals in areas adjacent to the infected area and have yet to find any other incidence of bird flu."   

Xinhua news agency reported that an additional 10,000 poultry in the area would be exterminated.   

Hong Kong has slapped a 21-day ban on imports of all live poultry, eggs and chilled or frozen meat from farms near the affected area, the territory's health secretary York Chow said late Monday.   

"A ban on imports of such products from Guangdong province will remain in effect for a week," Chow said.   

H5N1 has killed 200 people and ravaged poultry flocks worldwide since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation.   

China conducted a huge campaign last year to contain the disease, slaughtering tens of thousands of poultry and stepping up public education efforts.