Poultry from a market in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's
Tibet Autonomous Region, has been confirmed infected with the bird
flu virus, China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced on
Tuesday.
The birds died in the market on March 1 and tests for the H5
virus by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory are
positive, according to the information office of the MOA.
Specialists and officials from the MOA and local government were
taking measures to control the virus and prevent further infection
in the area, including closure of the market, a cull of poultry in
the market, disinfection of the area, inspections of poultry
markets, and monitoring of wild birds to prevent the spread of
avian influenza.
Specialists believe the virus was introduced by wild birds
migrating from east Africa to west Asia as no outbreaks of the
disease have been reported in the source areas of the poultry.
Earlier this month three wild birds and two poultry birds tested
positive for the H5 virus out of 325 poultry and 20 wild birds
tested in Fujian province, where a woman who contracted the disease
late last month is in critical condition in the hospital, according
to authorities.
(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)