Five H5N1 Human Bird Flu cases reported in Seoul*

 2008-05-07 12:42:52

    SEOUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- At least five suspected H5N1 human cases
have been reported to local authorities as of Wednesday morning in Seoul
after the outbreak of the fatal disease was confirmed in Seoul earlier,
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

    The health authorities said five people have reported symptoms of
fever or cough since Tuesday.

    The authorities have conducted blood tests on the five people to
confirm whether they are positive to the deadly H5N1 strain, Yonhap said.

    The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced
Tuesday that quarantine officials detected the highly virulent H5N1
strain in dead chickens from a bird vivarium located at the Gwangjin
ward office in eastern Seoul.

    It was the first time that the highly virulent H5N1 strain hits
Seoul since a new round of spread of bird flu was confirmed in late
March in the country.

    The outbreak in the capital city has added worries that authorities
are unable to contain the spread of the disease that has caused about 6
million birds to be culled so far.