The quarantine authorities in Shenzhen, the city bordering Hong Kong, have enhanced quarantine measures to assure bird flu-free supply of poultry for Hong Kong.

Bird flu cases were reported in the Chinese mainland on Tuesday in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and in central provinces of Hunan and Hubei.

The quarantine authorities of Shenzhen, in southern Guangdong Province, stepped up bird flu control efforts in farms that were licensed to supply poultry for Hong Kong markets, enforcing most strict vaccination, field inspection and test of poultry to be exported to Hong Kong.

So far there were no bird flu cases reported in Hong Kong, where the majority of poultry supply was from the Chinese mainland.

According to officials with the quarantine authorities of Shenzhen, the number of poultry exported to Hong Kong rose 47 percent before the Spring Festival, or surpassing 1 million head.

After the bird flu reports in the mainland, the authorities tightened vaccination, requiring that chicken seven to 10 days old should be vaccinated the first time and those 30 to 35 days old should be vaccinated once more.

In addition, the quarantine authorities and customs suspended to allow poultry and poultry products from Guangxi, Hunan and Hubei to be exported via Shenzhen.

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2004)