February 6, 2004

China's Inner Mongolia Jinyu To Develop Bird Flu Vaccine

China's Inner Mongolia Jinyu Group Co Ltd will develop a vaccine for the H5N1 bird flu virus, following approval from the Ministry of Agriculture. 

The Shanghai Securities News said the firm, which has been developing and producing vaccines for avian diseases since September last year, will try its best to guarantee sufficient supplies once it develops a vaccine.

Other Chinese companies such as China Animal Husbandry Industry Co Ltd are also planning to develop and manufacture a vaccine for the deadly virus across Asia.

China said another province has been hit by bird flu and it confirmed four other outbreaks, which brings the total number of cases in China to 28 - 10 confirmed and 18 suspected.

The newly affected province was Jiangxi in eastern China. Currently thirteen of China's 31 regions have been affected but no human infections have been reported.

(US$1 = 8.3 yuan)