051148 China Reports Two More Poultry Flocks Have FluNovember 19, 2005Beijing - China reported two new outbreaks of bird flu among its vast poultry flocks, even as it released dozens of farmers and villagers from medical observation with clean bills of health. The latest poultry outbreaks were hundreds of miles apart - in the northern province of Shanxi and the far northwestern region of Xinjiang, the official Xinhua News Agency said. All poultry on nearby farms were killed as a precaution. China has reported 15 outbreaks of bird flu in poultry since Oct. 19 and has promised tough control measures to prevent human infections. The country confirmed its first human cases of bird flu -- a woman who died and a boy who recovered. The boy's sister, who died, is a suspected case. But dozens of people who had contact with the three patients showed no signs of the disease, Xinhua said. At least 67 people in Asia have died of bird flu since 2003, when the virulent H5N1 strain became entrenched in poultry populations. Vietnam has reported two-thirds of the human deaths. China's central and provincial governments have been trumpeting their prevention and surveillance measures while state media have given wide play to the disease and official efforts to combat it. "In 2003, we triumphed over SARS," Premier Wen Jiabao was quoted as saying on state television, referring to another deadly disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome. "It shows that we will triumph over bird flu as well." Provincial health authorities have also stockpiled 60 million units of bird flu vaccine for poultry, 10 tons of disinfectant and 2,000 sets of protective suits in case of an outbreak, Xinhua said. China has said it is vaccinating all 14 billion chickens, ducks and other domestic poultry. All local governments have been urged to give timely reports of poultry deaths, and hospitals have been asked to open hot lines for consultations or have been appointed as facilities to treat humans infected with H5N1.
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