Shanghai Daily news
Local agricultural authorities announced plans yesterday to set upan animal disease control center in the near future to prevent animal viruses from spreading to humans.
No date was set for opening thecenter,which will be run by theShanghai Husbandry VeterinaryStation,a division of the city¡¯s agriculturalcommission.
Officials said yesterday they havebeen discussing setting up such acenter for several years,but pushedCity eyes animal diseasesforward plans due to the bird flu.
¡°From SARS to the bird flu,more epidemics appear to be relatedto animal diseases,¡±said Jiang Jian,deputy director of Shuguang Hospital.
¡°It is surely a hidden dangerto the public health.¡±
While officials are still discussingwhat role the center will play,Cai Jihong,deputy director of theShanghai Health SupervisionAgency,suggested it should be incharge of teaching farmers properways to feed poultry and sterilizefarms as well as conducting regulardisease checks on poultry.
With the city working to controlthe bird flu,the Shanghai HealthBureau is setting up an emergencycontrol system to check the spreadof the virus.
¡°So far we haven¡¯t obtained evidenceto prove bird migrationplays an important in the spreadof bird flu,¡±said Sun Yuehua,aprofessor with the Animal ResearchInstitute of the China Academyof Sciences.¡°But we shouldstill be on alert because a numberof migratory birds will fly back tothe city from epidemic-strickencountries like Vietnam and Thailandin March.¡±
The city has already banned birdwatchers and tourists from visitingthe Chongming Dongtan NaturalConservation Zone.
¡°Now we are cooperating withlocal veterinarians to take bloodsamples of migratory birds to testwhether they are carrying the birdflu virus,¡±said Tang Chendong,anofficer with the wildlife conservationdivision of the Shanghai Agricultureand Forestry Bureau.
At the Wild Animal ParkNanhui District,feeders sterilizebird cages every morning to preventbirds from being infected withthe flu as many migratory birdsspend the winter in the park.
The principal of ShanghaiMiddle School is worried that theexpected arrival of thousandswild egrets in forests around thecampus could put students at risk.
¡°We have more than 2,000studentsboarding at the school.Theirhealth is the most important,¡±principalTang Shengchang said.
