On November 21, authorities in the capital city of Rome (Italy) seized 3 tons of chicken from China and Thailand that were imported under false labels as products from Brazil.
Anti-counterfeit customs officials in Rome, in cooperation with military police, conducted inspections at various warehouses, shops, restaurants, and residences of Chinese citizens and discovered the counterfeit goods.
China May Deploy Military and Police if Necessary
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Chinese quarantine officials disinfecting a chicken market in Shanghai |
On the same day, China announced a series of new regulations aimed at combating avian influenza, including fines for violators. The regulations require that any new outbreaks must be reported to the government within four hours of detection.
Anyone obstructing disease prevention efforts, delaying, misreporting, or failing to comply with regulations could face fines of up to 5,000 yuan. Officials who fail to report outbreaks of influenza in their localities may face demotion or dismissal. If necessary, police and even the military will be deployed to intervene.
China reported that there have been 17 outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza since mid-last month, and approximately 21 million poultry have been culled this year. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture stated that while some areas with outbreaks have been controlled, the overall situation remains “serious.”
In Romania, avian influenza has re-emerged in a remote village in the Danube River plain. Tests conducted by a laboratory in the UK indicated that four chickens that died in the village of Caraorman were infected with the H5N1 virus.
Meanwhile, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan have banned poultry imports from British Columbia, Canada, until a full assessment of the avian influenza situation within a 5 km radius of the infected farm in that province is completed.
SON NGUYEN (According to THX, VNA, Reuters)
