China's Ministry of Agriculture announced Wednesday that quarantine has been lifted from five areas hit by the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The areas are Jinnan district of northern Tianjin Municipality,Doumen district of Zhuhai City in southern Guangdong Province, Heshan district of Yiyang City in central Hunan Province, Dongxiang County and Guixi City in eastern Jiangxi Province.

No new avian influenza cases had been detected in these areas for 21 consecutive days since the last birds were destroyed, said the spokesman from the ministry.

Experts in animal epidemics and officials concluded after inspections that the disease had been eradicated in these areas and they met the requirements for the lifting of isolation orders as stipulated in the Emergency Countermeasures Against Avian Influenza and the Technical Standards Regarding the Fight Against Avian Influenza.

The ministry also urged local governments and animal epidemic prevention and control organizations to remain vigilant and continue supervision to prevent new cases.

The ministry said it had received no reports of new suspected or confirmed bird flu cases Wednesday. There have been no reports of suspected bird flu cases anywhere on the Chinese mainland for 16 consecutive days since Feb. 17.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2004)