China lifted a bird flu quarantine in south China's Guangdong Province on Thursday after no new cases had been reported for 21 days.

The trade of live poultry within 13 kilometers of the epidemic region has resumed, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

The outbreak of bird flu in Xinhui, Jiangmen City, on June 10 killed 3,873 ducks and led to the culling of another 17,127. The ministry urged local authorities to boost epidemic monitoring and prevention measures.

China has reported seven outbreaks among poultry so far this year.

The Ministry of Health reported three human bird flu cases in February in Henan Province and south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guangdong Province. All three died.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2008)