China reports new human bird flu case
Pastor Dale Morgan
China reports new human bird flu case*
POSTED: 0721 GMT (1521 HKT), March 1, 2007
Story Highlights
• NEW: Indonesia, WHO reach deal on bird flu virus samples
• Confirmation came after tests
• Mainland authorities have notified Hong Kong's government
• Last human case was also a farmer
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- A farmer in China's southeastern province of
Fujian has been infected with the H5N1 form of bird flu, state media
said on Thursday, the first human case in about seven weeks.
The 44-year-old woman from Jianou city is being treated in hospital,
according to the official Xinhua news agency.
"Tests by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the
patient have confirmed that the patient has been infected with the bird
flu virus strain H5N1," it said.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the news on its Web site
(www.moh.gov.cn) but gave no other details.
Hong Kong's government said it had been notified by mainland authorities.
The Department of Health in Hong Kong said in a statement it was
maintaining close contacts with its Chinese counterpart and hoped to
obtain more information.
China's last confirmed human case was reported in January. The farmer,
from eastern Anhui province, recovered.
China has now reported a total of 23 human cases of bird flu, including
14 deaths, since 2003 and, with the largest poultry population and
millions of backyard birds roaming free, it is seen as central to the
fight against the virus.
Indonesia sets out WHO deal on bird flu samples
Indonesia is set to resume sharing bird flu virus samples with the World
Health Organization (WHO) under an interim deal that ensures they are
not used for commercial purposes, the health minister said on Thursday.
In a controversial move, Jakarta declared last month it had stopped
sharing H5N1 samples with the WHO. The two sides then struck a deal on
February 16 to resume sharing samples but under a new framework to give
developing nations access to vaccines.
Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said that WHO director general
Margaret Chan had accommodated Indonesia's interests.
"WHO will send a letter which guarantees that virus samples sent by
Indonesia will only be used for reassessment (diagnostic) and not for
commercial purposes," the minister told a national meeting on bird flu
in the capital.
She said that companies that wanted samples would have to make a request
directly to Indonesia.
"Once we get the letter. We can start sending our bird flu samples until
the right mechanism is put in place."