16.11.2005

China's announcement today that it plans to vaccinate all of its poultry against H5N1 avian influenza would launch the country on the largest single immunization effort in history for any species, according to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official.
China raises about 14 billion birds a year and currently has 5.2 billion.
Meanwhile, China reported two more poultry outbreaks, these in the northwestern region of Xinjiang in the counties of Zepu and Urumqi. They were said to be China's 10th and 11th outbreaks in the past month. None of the other recent cases have been in Xinjiang.