China confident it can contain bird flu

"In the face of a very complicated epidemic situation, we are fully capable of effectively containing the spread of bird flu in China," Jia Youling told a briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. "We have full confidence and strong determination."

[...] He said that, as of Tuesday, there had been no reported outbreaks for 15 days in a row and quarantines in 23 affected areas had been lifted, giving some cause for optimism.

However he warned there could be more outbreaks, especially during the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival period starting in late January.

[...] Jia said that, as part of the control measures, 6.85 billion domestic birds had been vaccinated this year -- more than five billion of them since the start of October.

The government announced last month it intended to vaccinate its entire poultry industry, which is the world's biggest with 14 billion fowls produced each year, against bird flu.

Story. Yesterday the Chinese also responded to Hong Kong University virologist Guan Yi, who claimed last Friday that there are many unreported outbreaks in the country.