China reports fourth bird flu outbreak in a month

BEIJING (Reuters) – China reported an outbreak of the
deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in its northeast province of
Liaoning on Friday, the fourth to hit the country in a month.

The disease has killed 62 people in Asia and infected 122
since late 2003, but in almost every case the virus is believed
to have been transmitted through human contact with birds.

Scientists fear H5N1 could mutate into a form that can pass
easily from human to human, potentially leading to a global
pandemic.

China’s latest outbreak was found in domestic and wild
birds last week, an official at the Agriculture Ministry told
Reuters, and 8,940 chickens had died and 369,000 domestic birds
had been culled within a three-km (2-mile) radius.

A Web site affiliated with the Agriculture Ministry
(www.farmer.com.cn) added the outbreak was thought to have
spread to poultry from migratory birds.

Some 14 million birds were vaccinated and Agriculture
Minister Du Qinglin had rushed to the scene, the Web site said.

In October, China reported three outbreaks of bird flu
killing 3,800 chickens, ducks and geese in northern Inner
Mongolia, eastern Anhui and southern Hunan.

“Every outbreak is a cause for concern,” spokesman Roy
Wadia said. “Each time the H5N1 virus strikes birds, there’s a
possibility that humans are at risk as well.

“The important thing is how the authorities handle the
outbreak, how swiftly it is addressed and how quickly birds are
culled,” Wadia added. “China in that practice has plenty of
experience, so we are confident from the animal point of view
the outbreaks are tackled as quickly as they can be.”

China has not reported any bird flu infections in people
since the latest outbreak of H5N1 first surfaced in Asia in
late 2003 but officials have warned that China’s size and vast
population of wild and domestic birds make containing bird flu
in the country especially difficult.

Travelers arriving in China from countries that have
reported bird flu and who show symptoms such as fever or
coughing would be subject to physical examinations, an official
newspaper said on Friday of measures similar to steps taken by
China in the SARS outbreak of 2003.

People arriving from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos,
Cambodia, Russia, Turkey and Romania would be subject to close
scrutiny, the People’s Daily overseas edition said, citing a
decision of the health ministry and quarantine bureau.

During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
outbreak, China measured the temperature of everyone arriving
in or leaving the country.

This week China earmarked $248 million to fight bird flu,
and has been stepping up surveillance on migratory birds and
poultry markets a well as stocking up on protective clothing
and disinfectant.

The Asian Development Bank has said a year-long shock from
bird flu in humans would cost Asian economies as much as $283
billion and would reduce the region’s gross domestic product by
6.5 percentage points.