Guangzhou: Chinese experts have confirmed an epidemic of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic fowls in the southern province of Guangzhou. For this reason, Guangzhou has planned to cull another 10,000 domestic fowls against the bird flu outburst.

The Agriculture Ministry and The National Avian Influenza Laboratory have also confirmed the existence of a sub-type of the H5N1 bird flu strain in ducks, which had died since September 5 at poultry farms near to the provincial capital, Guangzhou. In two arenas of Guangzhou’s Panyu district, workers had culled 36,130 ducks in order to prevent the spread of bird flu.

The Panyu district administration declared on Monday that all the 10,000 poultries in the bird flu infected region will be plucked. Mandatory vaccination and medical aids will be followed up in a radius of 5 square kilometers and the entire poultry markets within a 13-meter-radius surveillance zone will be closed down.

The local administration has pledged to recompense poultry farmers for their financial losses and the compensation amount will be decided shortly. Over 50 farmers in the village are taking blood examinations and health checkups.

The local agricultural department will set up a separate headquarter soon to control and prevent bird flu outbreak.

The bureau added that six control teams have been sent off to different areas in Guangzhou, aiding to enforce vaccination on all domestic fowls in the city as of next Tuesday.

As the world’s biggest producer of livestock, poultry and aquatic products, China undergoes much economic losses from outbreaks of animal diseases. It is projected that animal diseases cost China 40 billion yuan every year.

China has reported 25 human infections with the H5N1 strain of bird flu since 2003. Sixteen of those people have died.