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New bird flu cases reported in Xinjiang
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-01 19:21
China has confirmed a new outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in
poultry in its far northwestern region of Xinjiang.
Three hundred poultry which died in a village in Xinyuan county in Xinjiang
on November 24 were confirmed to have H5N1, the Ministry of Agriculture said on
its Web site.
Local authorities culled 118,153 poultry within three kilometers (two miles)
of the affected area to contain spread, the ministry said.
China's health minister said on Wednesday officials have reported 30
outbreaks of the avian flu virus in poultry this year in 11 regions and
provinces.
China has also confirmed three cases of bird-to-human infections, two of whom
have died. There have been no reports of human-to-human infections, the
development health experts are watching out for fearing a potential pandemic.
China, the world's biggest poultry-producing nation, has culled more than 20
million birds this year to contain the spread of avian influenza and announced
plans to vaccinate billions of birds.
The H5N1 strain is known to have infected 133 people in Asia since late 2003,
killing 68 of them.
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