April 6, 2005

No bird flu in China despite outbreaks in region

Tight surveillance and widespread vaccination have prevented the avian influenza virus from re-emerging in poultry farms in China, despite outbreaks in neighbouring Vietnam and North Korea.

Another factor is that China-originated vaccines could be working, said international experts. They have previously criticized the vaccines as too costly and lacking in standards.

Still, the World Health Organisation and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization would prefer that host countries not do independent research because many experts still skeptical about the accuracy of Chinese medical data since the SARS epidemic in 2003.