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Bird flu crisis
escalates in China |
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ANHUI (China): China was struggling to contain an escalation of the bird flu crisis yesterday after reporting at least one person had died from the H5N1 virus, with other human cases suspected and two more outbreaks. The Ministry of Agriculture reported yesterday two new outbreaks of bird flu, one in Xinjiang in the far northwest and the other in the central province of Hubei. The latest reports bring to 13 the number of outbreaks, across six provinces and regions, confirmed in China over the past month. The fresh outbreaks followed confirmation on Wednesday night of the nation's first known human cases of bird flu. The Health Ministry said the virus had killed one woman, likely claimed the life of another girl and infected one boy who has since recovered. The ministry said a 24-yearold female poultry worker from the eastern province of Anhui, Zhou Maoya, died of bird flu on Nov 10 after falling ill on Nov 1. A 12-year-old girl, He Yin, from an infected area in neighboring Hunan province who died on Oct 17 was also |
"suspected" to have been a victim of H5N1, the ministry said. The ministry said that, according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, He's case could not be definitively confirmed as bird flu because reliable laboratory samples were not available. However the ministry said He's brother, He Junyao, nine, was infected with bird flu. The boy has since recovered and was discharged from hospital last week. Health authorities said the siblings fell ill shortly after eating a chicken that had died suddenly. The WHO, which sent an investigation team to the family's village, confirmed the findings and said more human cases were likely in China, although not a huge number. "That's always of course possible ... as long as there are poultry outbreaks, people will be exposed to the virus. You can expect that people might get infected," WHO's China head, Henk Bekedam, told reporters in Beijing. More than 60 people have already died of the H5N1 strain in Southeast Asia since 2003, with most of the deaths in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. |
Japan expressed concern yesterday at the developments in its Asian neighbor. "I'm very worried that it may be a sign of bird flu spreading further," Chief Cabinet Secretary and government spokesman Shinzo Abe said. In an effort to reassure the nation, Premier Wen Jiabao said China would defeat the bird flu just as it overcame the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome crisis more than two years ago. China is stepping up efforts in studying the efficiency of traditional Chinese medicine to help prevent or control human cases of bird flu, Xinhua news agency said. The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine has launched a working group to supervise and coordinate the study, according to the agency. AFP
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