Gu Jia/Shanghai Daily news

The State Super vision and Inspection Center for Garment Quality (Shanghai) has explained that, to be approved, clothing made from down should undergo sterilization procedures using acid and caustic washing, which will kill any bird flu virus present, today's Oriental Morning Post reported.
Many people have been calling recently to complain that a mass of molar duck feather, the main filling of down products, can be seen fluttering around private down- processing workshops, which are usually located in residential areas.
"It's unavoidable," pleaded the owner of one such workshop near Shanghai Railway Station. "We have to aerate the feathers, as they are easily affected by damp. "
The possibility of the virus being spread by these feathers, which are from those private workshops with poor processing and storage conditions, should attract the attention of the relevant administrations.
The Center also suggests people avoid contact with the feathers, so as to lessen the risk of infection, and always to check for an 'approved' tag when purchasing down products.