Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
China reports second bird flu death this year
By AUDRA ANG,Associated Press Writer AP - Tuesday, January 20
BEIJING - China is stepping up bird flu precautions on fears that the virus could spread more quickly in cold weather and as families gather for Lunar New Year feasts that often include poultry. Four new cases of the illness _ two fatal _ have been reported this month.
A flu expert at China's National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shu Yuelong, said new infections were likely because the H5N1 virus is more active in lower temperatures.
"The situation urges us to further strengthen prevention and supervision," Shu was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency late Monday.
The Agriculture Ministry said it is requiring tighter monitoring of disease outbreaks at all levels and proper vaccination of all poultry. It would also increase checks across the country and at borders.
"With the Lunar New Year approaching, the volume of trade of live poultry is growing, and the risk of the emergence and spread of an epidemic is increasing," the ministry said in a statement posted late Sunday on its Web site.
An estimated 188 million people travel between cities and rural hometowns for Lunar New Year, the country's biggest holiday, which begins next week.
Dishes prepared from freshly slaughtered chicken and duck feature prominently in celebration feasts. This means a potentially greater risk of exposure to sick birds as people shop in markets for poultry or when the birds are transported to be sold, said the World Health Organization's Beijing office.
The most recent death from the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus occurred in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province in China's east.
The 27-year-old woman surnamed Zhang died Saturday, the Health Ministry said, but did not give any details on how Zhang, who fell sick on Jan. 5, contracted the virus.
The fatality comes less than two weeks after a 19-year-old woman died from an H5N1 infection in a Beijing hospital after buying and cleaning ducks in a market in a neighboring province.
On Monday, the Health Ministry announced the latest H5N1 infection _ a 16-year-old student surnamed Wu in the central province of Hunan. The teen fell ill Jan. 8 in his hometown in Guizhou province in the country's southwest and was in critical condition, the ministry said.
It said the boy had been in contact with domestic poultry that had died from illness but did not elaborate. Those in close contact with Wu have not shown signs of infection, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, a 2-year-old girl sickened by H5N1 was in critical condition in the northern province of Shanxi after falling ill on Jan. 7. Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper backed by the mainland's communist authorities, reported that the girl's mother died recently and that doctors "highly suspected" bird flu.
The paper did not give any other details and Shanxi health officials refused to comment on the mother's death. But Xinhua, citing a health official, said that none of the 67 people who had close contact with the girl have become ill.
The WHO said it was prepared to provide assistance to China if asked and urged people to take precautions against bird flu infections by washing their hands after handling raw meat and ensuring that all poultry is well cooked.
According to the WHO, bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003.
While the disease remains hard for humans to catch _ with most cases linked to contact with infected birds _ scientists have warned that if outbreaks among poultry are not controlled, the virus may mutate into a form more easily passed between people.
Human-to-human transmission of bird flu has happened about a dozen times in the past, in countries including China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Turkey. In nearly every case, transmission has occurred among blood relatives who have been in close contact, and the virus has not spread into the wider community.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Australian convicted of insulting Thai monarchyAP - 2 hours 27 minutes ago
Basketball: New ASEAN league to start in SeptemberChannel NewsAsia - Tuesday, January 20
Hard-liner to lead Seoul's NKorea policyAP - Tuesday, January 20
India keeps up pressure on Pakistan over MumbaiReuters - Tuesday, January 20
Sri Lanka searches for rebel leaderAP - Tuesday, January 20
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
'Overwhelming emotion' at star-studded inaugural concert
Zimbabwe unveils $100 trillion banknote
'Dogs don't wear condoms,' says Baywatch star Anderson
Faulty gene condemns millions in India to heart disease: study
Hamas announces one-week truce after Israel ceasefire
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular