A chief veterinary official announced at a press conference in
Beijing on Friday afternoon that Asia Type I foot and mouth disease
has been found in China, and cattle diagnosed with it have been
culled.
Jia Youling, national chief veterinary officer and director
general of the Ministry of Agriculture's veterinary bureau, said
the disease first hit dairy cattle farms in Daiyue District, Tai'an
City, Shandong
Province and Huishan District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu
Province in April.
The Ministry of Agriculture reported the situation to the FAO
and OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) on May 13, according
to Jia.
Two more farms have been affected in Hebukesaier County, Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region and Yanqing County in Beijing
Municipality in the first half of May, and diagnoses from both
have been confirmed by the National Foot and Mouth Disease
Reference Lab.
There are 75 sick cattle in one farm in Hebukesaier, while the
farm in Yanqing has 252 cases.
In addition, Hebei's
provincial veterinary supervision department has discovered that
fattening cattle in one beef cattle farm in Sanhe City have been
infected, and 512 in the herd that tested positive were all
culled.
Emergency measures have so far been adopted in the affected
areas: sealing off affected areas; sending experts to provide
guidance and monitor work; authorizing the National Foot and Mouth
Disease Reference Lab to conduct investigations into pathogen and
epidemiology; and carrying out emergency immunizations while
monitoring the epidemic.
Foot and mouth disease is classified as a Category I infectious
animal disease by the government, and a Category A lytic infectious
animal disease by the OIE.
There are seven serotypes of foot and mouth disease. Asia I is
newly introduced and mainly infects cows, pigs, sheep and goats. It
does not pose a threat to human health.
At the press conference, Jia also briefed the press on bird flu
amongst migratory birds in Qinghai
Province. Up to yesterday, over 1,000 birds had been found
dead, including bar-headed geese and great black-headed gulls.
Tight blockades and stringent disinfection measures have been
taken to prevent domestic birds from contact with wild ones, and
all vulnerable poultry in surrounding areas and areas along
migration routes have been vaccinated.
(China.org.cn May 27, 2005)