February 4, 2004

China Confirms Suspected Bird Flu Case In Guangdong Province

A suspected case of bird flu in southern China has been confirmed and more suspected outbreaks of the disease have been reported across the country, state television reported Tuesday.

The case in Chao'an county in southern Guangdong province was confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture after tests, China Central Television said in its evening newscast. It did not provide any other details.

New suspected cases have also been reported in Gansu province in the west, Anhui in the east, Shaanxi in the north and the central provinces of Hunan and Hubei, CCTV said.

Additionally, health authorities were investigating the deaths of black swans in the southern city of Shenzhen, it said.

The report raises to four the number of confirmed cases in China. No human infections have been reported.

Across Asia, bird flu has killed millions of chickens and jumped to humans in Vietnam and Thailand, killing at least 12 people.