China Warns of Possible “Disaster” from Disease in Liaoning Province. The failure to control the outbreak is attributed to the use of fake and low-quality vaccines for poultry produced domestically.
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Inspectors stationed on major roads to check vehicles transporting poultry in China. |
“The use of fake and low-quality vaccines will lead to a disaster. Vaccination measures will no longer be effective and could cause significant losses,” emphasized Minister of Agriculture Du Qingling. Experts are concerned that once the H5N1 virus spreads, the risk of mutation increases, as it would have more opportunities to exchange genes with common flu strains and could easily transmit from person to person.
“Avian influenza has not been fully controlled in China, and the risk of an outbreak remains apparent in some regions,” stated Premier Wen Jiabao during a survey visit to Liaoning Province.
According to an official report from China to the World Health Organization on November 3, approximately 6 million chickens, ducks, and geese have been culled in Liaoning Province since the outbreak began. Eighteen villages in Heishan have been affected. Police and military forces have been mobilized to assist with the culling efforts. Three other outbreak sites in Hunan, Inner Mongolia, and Anhui have been “fairly well controlled.”
In preparation for a potential pandemic, China has announced its intention to produce its own antiviral medication for avian influenza, Tamiflu. Roche, the pharmaceutical company that holds the exclusive rights to produce Tamiflu, is negotiating licensing terms with Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group. “Currently, the negotiation process is at the technical stage, so it is unclear when an agreement will be reached,” said Xu Chao, a representative from Roche Shanghai. If negotiations are successful, the Shanghai Group will need about six months to begin mass production.
China is still awaiting the results of verification for three suspected cases of avian influenza, one of whom died in Hunan Province last month.
My Linh (according to AFP)
