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Chinese Scientists Control Viral Epidemic in Crested Ibises
Chinese scientists have succeeded in controlling a viral epidemic among the country's remaining crested ibises, a type of endangered bird indigenous only to China.
It was the first time the rare birds have been struck by such an illness, according to a research paper presented Friday to the ongoing meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology.
The 300 crested ibises known to be living are under top state protection.
Fan Guangli, 58, professor of the Northwest China Science and Technology University of Agriculture and Forestry, disclosed in her paper that in June last year, several crested ibises raised in a feedlot in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province, suddenly experienced a lack of appetite and had trouble breathing.
Fan headed a group of experts to rescue the birds, which had fallen unconscious, but two died.
Observation of the dead ibises revealed that unclean feed may have caused the viral infection, or it may be that livestock and other fowl around the farm -- even visitors -- spread the virus through airborne particles, Fan said.
Urgent measures were taken to fight the further spread of the sickness, including adjusting the birds' feed mix, thoroughly disinfecting the farm, and quarantining the ibises that suffered from the illness, Fan said.
Crested Ibises have been added in the world's list of endangered species. They are under top state protection in China.
After the discovery of seven ibises in Yangxian County in 1981, China established a special farm to protect the species.
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