Poultry farms in Beijing have been ordered to place anti-bird nets around poultry farms to prevent possible infection of the new strain of avian flu H7N9 from migrant birds.
A media officer from Beijing Infectious Animal Plague Prevention Office, surnamed Yao, said Wednesday that the decision was made as the arrival of spring means more birds are flying back to Beijing.
"With the weather getting warmer, migrant birds are back now, but there is still not enough food for them in Beijing. In this situation it is possible they will seek food in open poultry farms with free-range poultry. If there are H7N9 carriers other birds might get infected and that's why we made this decision," said Yao.
Yao said migrant birds will be guided to special open spaces, where food will be provided .
Su said similar requests were also made in previous years as routine to prevent disease, but this year is stricter.
Health authorities also requested Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry to keep a close eye on any diseases in wild birds, and requested park administration offices to monitor birds in parks, and stricter immunity and health examination measures will be taken on poultry farms.
Sijiqingshan, an organic open farm in Changping district, has installed a series of new anti-bird nets as requested, the Beijing Youth Daily reported Wednesday.
However, Li Chunjin, manager of Beijing Lüyan Poultry Farm told the Global Times that he has not received any request from the health bureau.
"No one requested us to install anti-bird nets and we haven't installed them," he said.
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