February 7, 2009

China poultry may be infected with bird flu

China's poultry may be infected with bird flu without showing any symptoms of the disease, according to a leading Chinese expert on respiratory disease.

Special attention should be paid to such animals, including the vaccinated animals as existing vaccines only reduce the amount of virus instead of inactivating it, said Zhong Nanshan, one of the scientists who helped control the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, in China in 2003.

Zhong's warning follows after eight human cases of the H5N1 bird flu strain were reported across China since January.

Zhong noted that more than half of those infected had no direct contact with birds and nor did they live in areas where infected birds with symptoms were reported.

He urged people to minimise contact with all domestic birds.