China's Cool Handling of Avian Flu

By staff reporter LI WUZHOU

Deputies to the Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress and members of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of CPPCC eating chicken during their sessions in mid-February, 2004.

ON January 27, 2004, the China National Avian Flu Reference Lab confirmed that in Dingdang Town, Long'an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region a duck had died of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. In contrast to the SARS epidemic last year, this occurrence has been handled coolly and efficiently by the Chinese government and people in general.

China's public health system and anti-epidemic measures could not have been expected to withstand an outbreak of bird flu only a year after SARS epidemic if not for the open and transparent operation mode of the Chinese government. Accurate and timely information bulletins and dissemination of prevention and control measures have played a key role in preventing panic about bird flu and stabilizing public morale.

More Transparent Information

 When bird flu cases first came to light in China, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health immediately informed the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and required of epidemic-stricken areas that they make daily reports. Chinese and overseas journalists were dispatched to the area where China's first bird flu case was discovered, and also to Hubei Province, where there are large-scale poultry farms and where most bird flu cases occurred.

"Through training courses, explanations by experts, and issuance of leaflets, the government keeps us informed of the seriousness of bird flu, and how to handle it," said a woman from the 12th villagers' group, Dingdang Town, Long'an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. "Last year, we had no information about SARS until the epidemic was serious, and panic purchasing of medicines and daily-use articles was the result. We now believe that government transparency and counter measures are in place, and so are at ease," said Li Demin, another inhabitant of Dingdang.

The media states that no risk attaches to eating eggs, as long as they are thoroughly cooked. In Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, poultry still appears on dining tables, and sales of eggs are increasing. Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's in downtown Beijing and Shanghai are still crowded with customers, and a Beijing KFC representative says that since January Beijing KFC's sales volumes have increased 10 percent. According to the procurement operative at one restaurant: "Many hotels and restaurants are looking for suppliers of poultry." He added that poultry is in short supply as there is a drastically reduced supply of live poultry in free markets, as well as in large-scale chain supermarkets. Bird flu has not caused any great drop in custom at the Quanjude Roast Peking Duck Restaurant.

Proper Measures Taken by the Government

Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), holds that since its experience with SARS, the Chinese government has enhanced its capability for dealing with epidemics, especially in the areas of frontier hygiene quarantine.

He points out that from the very beginning China made itself a link in the world campaign against bird flu. Before the virus was even discovered in China, various departments had already worked out plans for preventing and controlling it. On the first occurrence of a case, a national general headquarters for prevention and treatment of bird flu was established. Governments at various levels in epidemic areas slaughtered all poultry within a 3 km radius, according to international norms, and chickens raised by peasants outside the epidemic areas were given compulsory vaccine free of charge. Chicken farms are under strict observation, and the poultry trade is restricted. Monitoring and control of possible human cases is also in place.

Chicken processing enterprises have taken stricter measures to prevent bird flu.

Since China CDC started to implement its emergency bird flu measures, various relevant departments have been on duty round the clock. In certain areas hospitals are ready to receive and treat bird flu patients. China's prevention and treatment measures are careful and thorough. The State Bureau of Forestry bans the selling of wild birds, and monitors bird migration. The Ministry of Railways prohibits the carrying of chicks on trains. Beijing has instituted monitoring measures for those engaged in raising, transporting, slaughtering and selling poultry, also on students returning from vacation and migrant workers.

Scientific and technological groups established to deal with bird flu rapidly developed 22 technologies and products in four categories: vaccine; fast testing and diagnosing technology; protective articles; and sterilizing equipment and disinfectant. These were immediately applied to epidemic areas. The Ministry of Science and Technology also earmarked 100 million yuan for research into bird flu.

After inspecting China's first case of bird flu, Laurence Grison, advisor to the UN FAO and a senior animal epidemic expert, said that the local government had taken "proper" measures on discovering the epidemic and that: "They did what needed to be done."