Bird flu reappears in China, Vietnam
Last Updated Fri, 04 Nov 2005 10:46:12 EST
CBC News
China and Vietnam reported major new outbreaks of bird flu Friday, and began killing hundreds of thousands of poultry to try to ensure it doesn't spread.
China's Agriculture Ministry confirmed the country's fourth avian flu outbreak in a month, this time in the northeast province of Liaoning. The ministry destroyed about 370,000 birds within a three-kilometre radius.
"This is not a good signal," said Noureddin Mona, China's representative with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
State media in Vietnam say a 24-year-old pregnant woman may be that country's latest human case of the deadly H5N1 virus, while Indonesia is testing three children for the virus.
Vietnamese authorities have killed more than 3,000 chickens, ducks and geese after the strain was discovered in three communities in Bac Giang province, near the capital of Hanoi. Officials have placed those communities under quarantine.
So far, the H5N1 virus has killed 62 people in Asia. The World Health Organization says the strain is prevalent there and could be spreading through migratory birds.
A form of avian flu has been found in wild birds in British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec. Samples have been sent for further testing to determine which type of virus it is; less serious types of H7 and H5 bird flu viruses have been found in Canada in the past.
It's rare for the bird flu to be passed to humans, unless they have close contact with infected birds. However, scientists warn the virus could mutuate, making it possible for easier transmission to humans.
The latest outbreaks come just before a global summit beginning on Monday in Geneva, focusing on how to limit the spread of the virus.
The U.S. government recently announced a $7.1-billion bird flu action plan. Some governments around the world have begun stockpiling the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to try to ensure their populations are safe.
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