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Pork consumers mixed as swine flu spreads

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-01 10:48

Nationwide, the swine flu outbreak has not affected pork markets significantly, according to a Xinhua-operated monitoring system on prices of the country's farm and sideline products.

The supply and sale of pork were normal, and pork prices showed no big fluctuations despite a slight fall Thursday.

The sales volume in some provinces dropped to different extents, but the upcoming May Day holiday again spurred pork sales, the monitoring system shows.

In Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong Province, most consumers interviewed by Xinhua expressed optimism and confidence.

"Pork is a daily necessity for my family. We won't eat less pork just because of the swine flu outbreak in other countries," resident Guan Jian said.

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"But for the sake of safety, I only go to supermarkets to buy pork now instead of crowded outdoor markets," he said.

Government Move

Although China has no reported human-infected H1N1 cases, Health Minister Chen Zhu told reporters Thursday that the possibility of the virus entering the country could not be ruled out.

He said China had developed an effective method for the instant diagnosis of possible H1N1 infection, and the new detection method would be available at disease control and prevention offices across the country.

The Health Ministry has issued and distributed a guideline for diagnosis for H1N1 and its variants to health departments nationwide, mandating local authorities to train medical personnel as soon as possible.

It has also published a self-protection manual on its website for the public, who are expected to participate in group activities in the upcoming May Day holiday.

The manual, in Chinese, details the basic preparations people must take before joining tours and urges them to maintain good personal hygiene.

The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine also asked all local health authorities to involve traditional Chinese medicine experts in the health emergency responding teams in order to take full advantage of traditional remedies.

Customs posts across the country have been told to conduct strict checks of imported pigs and pork products, especially those from countries and regions affected by swine flu, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced Thursday.

Products without valid quality certification will be banned from coming into China. At the same time, the GAC urged customs at all levels to crack down on the smuggling of pork products.

Meanwhile, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) has ordered greater market supervision of domestic pork markets.

Also Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture issued an emergency response act against the swine flu, urging local veterinary administrations across the country to report within two hours any finding of flu symptoms among pig herds.

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