Avian influenza hits Chinese poultry farm

The outbreak came to light at the beginning of September in a small village in south-west China’s Guizhou province, and laboratory tests of birds at the farm showed positive readings of the disease.

Control measures implemented by the ministry to prevent the disease spreading to other regions included the disposal of carcases, by-products and waste.

According to the ministry, this was the first occurrence of H5N6 avian influenza in the area in over two years.

China has been affected by a string of animal-related diseases in recent months, including its first-ever case of African Swine Fever (ASF), which infected as many as 8,000 pigs​ in its Liaoning region, which borders North Korea.

According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), ASF has been detected in areas more than 1,000km apart within China since the outbreak.

The disease affected many of China’s largest meat producers, such as WH Group​, which was forced to close its facility in Zhengzhou by the People’s Government of Zhengzhou Municipality.