China confirmed the first human flu case

A Chinese expert with bird flu vaccine.China has announced it will inject vaccines for all 14 billion poultry flocks in the country after two outbreaks in Xinjiang broke out.

According to the China Post Daily newspaper, yesterday morning, Director of the Infectious Diseases Agency of the Chinese Ministry of Health Qi Xiaoqiu confirmed that the country had the first case of bird flu spread to humans. That was the case of a 9-year-old patient in Hunan Province, hospitalized last month because of suspected bird flu.

According to the newspaper, this news was informed by Mr. Qi Xiaoqiu at an International Conference on Sino-US relations. He said the blood test results of the boy showed antibodies to the H5N1 virus.

The boy has now recovered and left the hospital, while his 12-year-old sister died with a suspected diagnosis of bird flu. In the village of these two sisters, who lived in late October, an outbreak of more than 500 chickens died. At that time, the Hong Kong media reported that the two boys were hospitalized with flu symptoms after eating dead chickens.

Until now, the Chinese government has ruled out the possibility of spreading the flu from poultry to people in the country, but now they have admitted this possibility. Mr. Qi Xiaoqiu said: "In the early tests we found no trace of virus in boys' blood, but later tests showed avian influenza antibodies. We are currently waiting for the World Health Organization to test. this result because according to WTO rules, a human infection must have two confirmation laboratories ".

According to him, the first mistake that could not confirm bird flu was the inexperienced Chinese laboratory. A group of WTO experts flew to Hunan to consider this case.

England: 53 isolated canaries died

The UK environmental ministry announced on November 14: 53 canaries, isolated after being taken from Taiwan to the country, died of the H5N1 virus.

These canaries are locked in Essex (eastern England) in a special isolation center. Also here, at the end of October, a parrot also died and a subsequent test showed it was infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. This parrot imported from Surinam in September and is also in the isolation period in accordance with British regulations. However, it is not known whether these birds die due to the same virus. The UK Ministry of the Environment confirmed that these birds died when isolated, so Britain is still a country that has not recorded any cases of bird flu infection.

Australia: Commitment to contribute US $ 4 billion to the fund against bird flu

Foreign Ministers and Trade Ministers of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) yesterday began an annual meeting with economic issues, counter terrorism, trade liberalization and against bird flu on the agenda. Regarding the prevention of outbreaks of avian influenza to humans, the Australian representative emphasized the importance of information systems among experts, and pledged to contribute US $ 4 billion to the APEC fund to solve problems. this topic.

TRAN DUC THANH (According to CNA, SCMP, AFP)