Bird flu necessitates enhanced security measures in Khabarovsk territory

Enhanced security measures have been taken in the Khabarovsk Territory (the Russian Far East) because of the bird flu danger. The Territorial government's press service reported on Monday that governor Viktor Ishayev signed a corresponding resolution.

In compliance with the document, strict control over the imported poultry products should be ensured by the customs service.

All the poultry breeding enterprises of the Territory should have a reserve of bio-preparations, disinfection means and equipment, and protection clothes for servicing personnel. The district veterinary stations have been instructed to work in an emergency mode.

The Territorial state sanitary and epidemiological control inspection should check food markets, trade and public catering enterprises, poultry processing industry of all types of property as to the fact of realization of products from South-East Asia.

The governor also ordered to form an operative staff for preventing the emergence and spread of bird flu epidemics among the domestic birds and the population in the Territory.

According to the World Health Organization, since December 2003 till the present time, the circulation of this strong virus sharply increased in 13 South-East Asian countries. In China and Japan, adjoining the Khabarovsk Territory, the number of bird flu cases increased. There is a real danger that this highly pathogenic virus will spread to the Russian territory and will infect the domestic and wild birds and hence, there is a risk of infecting the people, stressed the Khabarovsk Territory's government press service.