China Orders Emergency Measures Over Bird Flu
China in National Bird Flu Alert (BBC)
China has ordered nationwide emergency measures to try to stop the spread of bird flu after discovering that wild geese had been killed by the virus.
Agriculture officials say the migratory birds may have brought a more virulent flu strain into China from South East Asia, Xinhua official news agency said.
Tests confirmed that the geese found dead in Qinghai province had been infected with the H5N1 virus.
The virus has killed at least 53 people in South East Asia since late 2003.
China has had confirmed outbreaks of H5N1 in birds before, but no-one has yet died from avian flu on the mainland.
After its much-criticized response to SARS, China established a national warning system and prepared contingency plans for outbreaks. We’ll see just how much progress it’s made.
