(MEATPOULTRY.com, April 08, 2008)
by MEAT&POULTRY Staff
HONG KONG ― Avian influenza is being blamed for killing chickens in poultry markets in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, Chinese officials have confirmed. China's Ministry of Agriculture notified the administration that the birds tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, marking the country's fifth outbreak among poultry this year, according to The Associated Press.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture also said that last week's outbreak in Guangzhou killed 114 birds and resulted in the slaughter of 518 others. But it has been contained, the ministry said.
China raises more poultry than any other country and health officials there have vowed to aggressively fight the virus. H5N1 has killed at least 235 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds, AP said.
China has reported three human bird flu deaths this year, including a 44-year-old migrant worker last month in southern Guangdong province. China has recorded 20 human deaths since the virus began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003.
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