China has the same drug Tamiflu

Zhong Nanshan, director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, said the Tamiflu-like drug was effective in treating bird flu.

However, in the Information Times, Zhong did not say when the drug would be available and its effectiveness compared to Roche's Tamiflu.

One of the basic ingredients of Tamiflu is shikimic acid, which is extracted from star anise (grown in China) or fermented. However, Mr. Zhong denied the rumor that star anise itself is an effective bird flu or flu medicine, since its shikimic acid content in Tamiflu is very small.

This week, WHO will send a team of experts to Hunan province to investigate 3 cases of bird flu, because all three live near the epidemic.

Meanwhile, in Thailand, an 18-month-old boy infected with H5N1 today has completely recovered. The director of Thawat Suntrajarn disease control agency said that he was quickly " due to a very small amount of virus and was treated promptly" . It is unclear what causes the boy's disease, but experts say he may have been exposed to chicken feces (these chickens later died of flu). Patients will be monitored in the hospital for another 3 weeks in accordance with international requirements.

The baby's grandmother was also tested twice but all had negative results (meaning no H5N1). Her flu symptoms are only caused by flu viruses. People will continue to check until the patient leaves the hospital.

ML (according to Reuters, AFP)