June 29, 2005

Bird flu outbreak in China's Qinghai may spread

The outbreak of bird flu in western China's Qinghai province may spread to other Chinese provinces and even other countries, through migratory birds that have the virus, two international health teams said in Beijing.

Last week, teams from WHO and FAO arrived in Qinghai to inspect the site of the outbreak and to see how prepared remote parts of China are in dealing with the bird flu situation.

China reported this month that 2,177 geese may have the virus in Tacheng city in Xinjiang province. A similar outbreak occurred among migratory birds in Qinghai province last month, killing 1,000 migratory birds.

The WHO is also worried about recent reports that the human antiviral drug amantadine has been used on animals for the past eight years in China to ward off avian flu. The body also wants to ensure that less developed, inland provinces like Qinghai and Xinjiang are prepared to ward off an epidemic.