IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 377 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government 

of the People’s Republic of China should adhere to internationally recognized health standards by prohibiting the use of antiviral medication 

to protect their livestock, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 22, 2005 

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the Government of the People’s Republic of China should 

adhere to internationally recognized health standards by 

prohibiting the use of antiviral medication to protect 

their livestock, and for other purposes. 

Whereas an influenza outbreak poses an imminent threat to 

the lives of peoples of all nations; 

Whereas many migratory birds carry an avian form of influenza and oftentimes transmit the virus to chickens along 

their route; 

Whereas avian influenza may mutate to a form that affects 

humans and can be transmitted through the digestion of 

chicken meat; 
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•HRES 377 IH 

Whereas the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has recommended for several years that countries try 

to eradicate infectious animal diseases by slaughtering infected flocks and increasing safety measures on farms; 

Whereas World Health Organization officials have recommended for years that no antiviral medication be used 

to treat avian flu in farm animals because of the potential of the virus to mutate into strains that cannot be 

treated by antiviral medications; 

Whereas researchers in Hong Kong have reported that the 

H5N1 flu virus has been circulating in mainland China 

for at least eight years, and Chinese farms have suffered 

major outbreaks in 1997, 2001, and 2003; 

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

did not seek the advice of any scientist, veterinarian, or 

contagious disease expert from any foreign country nor 

did they notify any foreign government of the H5N1 outbreaks which could have such an horrific impact on world 

health; 

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

has ignored the advice of every international organization 

dedicated to the containment of disease, and encouraged 

their farmers to protect their chickens from the H5N1 

flu virus by giving them the drug amantadine rather than 

taking simple steps to limit their contact with migratory 

birds; 

Whereas amantadine can no longer effectively treat people infected with the H5N1 flu virus because Chinese farmers, 

following the advice and assistance from the Government 

of the People’s Republic of China, immunized their chickens with amantadine, overexposing the antiviral medica-
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•HRES 377 IH 

tion to the H5N1 flu virus, allowing the virus to mutate 

into forms untreatable with amantadine; 

Whereas amantadine is the least expensive drug available in 

order to treat people infected with the flu virus; 

Whereas governments have the responsibility of protecting 

their citizens, not their poultry, against outbreaks of contagious, deadly diseases; 

Whereas the countries neighboring the People’s Republic of 

China, the developing nations of southeast Asia, can no 

longer afford to protect their citizens from the imminent 

threat of an influenza outbreak due to the ineffectiveness 

of amantadine; 

Whereas only the wealthiest nations of the world can afford 

to protect their citizens from a global influenza outbreak 

due to the ineffectiveness of amantadine; and 

Whereas a global influenza outbreak could be exponentially 

more lethal because all countries will have vastly decreased stockpiles of medications capable of treating people infected with influenza since the relatively inexpensive 

amantadine is no longer effective against the H5N1 flu 

virus: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the Government of the People’s Republic of 

4 China has endangered the lives of millions of people 

5 in every region of the world, and should adhere to 

6 internationally recognized health standards by pro7 hibiting the use of antiviral medication to protect 

8 their livestock; and 
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•HRES 377 IH 

1 (2) the Government of the People’s Republic of 

2 China should no longer purposefully hide any patho3 genic outbreaks or mutations that could be harmful 

4 to the global community, but should instead consult 

5 with experts from both within their government and 

6 outside their country to handle situations that could 

7 endanger millions of lives in the most appropriate 

8 and responsible manner. 

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