Chinese Death Not Bird Flu

Chinese health officials say a 12-year-old girl with suspected avian influenza actually died of pneumonia.

The New York Times said the death had caused widespread anxiety in China because the girl had reportedly become sick after eating chicken infected with bird flu. Experts say people cannot catch the disease from eating infected poultry as long as it has been properly cooked.

The girl lived in an area in Hunan Province where there has been an outbreak of avian influenza among domestic fowl.

There have been three outbreaks of the virus in China this week. Dr. Julie Hall, a World Health Organization representative in Beijing, told the Times the government has responded promptly by sending health teams to the affected areas and culling birds.