February 13, 2004

China Confirms Seven New Bird Flu Cases

China's Agriculture Ministry confirmed suspected cases of bird flu in seven more locations, including Shanghai on Friday.

The cases were confirmed in Nanhui, an eastern suburb of Shanghai; in two places in southwestern China's Yunnan province; in the northeastern city of Tianjin; and in three locations in Guangdong province, Jia Youling, an Agriculture Ministry official, said in a statement.

All cases involved birds - no cases of bird flu in humans have been reported in China.

In Thailand and Vietnam, the bird flu virus has jumped to humans, killing at least 19 people. It has ravaged poultry farms in 10 Asian nations and territories.

Authorities in Shenzhen, a city in Guangdong bordering Hong Kong, have confirmed that bird flu killed black swans that recently died there, the statement said.

Until now, most cases of bird flu have involved poultry, but bird reserves have been closed as a precaution out of fears the disease might be spread by migratory birds.

The Health Ministry reported Friday that it had put 7,793 people in areas hit by bird flu under medical supervision.

"So far, all the reported test results were negative and there are no suspected or confirmed human bird flu infection reports on the Chinese mainland," the ministry said.

In China and elsewhere, nervous governments have slaughtered more than 50 million chickens and banned poultry imports to try to contain the disease.