Fever Patients in Epidemic Area Ruled Out of Bird Flu Infection

Fever patients in epidemic area ruled out of bird flu infection

SHENYANG, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) — One hundred and twenty-one patients with fever or flu-like symptoms in a northeast China region hit by bird flu do not have the bird flu virus, local health authority confirmed Friday.

The health department of Liaoning Province said in an announcement Friday that it had been ruled out that the patients in Heishan County were infected by bird flu, according to the result of continuous medical examination and supervision.

Only a female chicken raiser suffered serious pneumonia and she tested negative for the virus in a preliminary exam, doctors said.

The patient is in stable condition and doctors are still searching for the cause of her disease.

Since the first case of bird flu in Liaoning was confirmed last Thursday, the local government has launched strict measures to prevent the deterioration of the situation, including poultry culling, disinfecting public sites, and sequestering more than 400,000 local residents.