China warned bird flu

China on January 7 issued a warning of bird flu, after a woman died of infection with the H5N1 virus.

The 19-year-old victim died after contact with poultry in Hebei province. This is the first case of death from the H5N1 virus for nearly a year in China.

In Yen Kieu in Hebei Province - where the bad people bought ducks, the poultry market was closed for the medical staff to disinfect. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that this is probably a special case.

"We are interested in all H5N1 cases. However, this single case seems to occur in the process of slaughtering and processing poultry, will not change our risk assessment." .

A woman is selling poultry in a Beijing suburban market in November 2008.(Photo: Reuters).

WHO hopes the Chinese Ministry of Health will continue to update information on this case and is ready to provide technical assistance if required, "quoted a WHO statement.

H5N1 virus is usually more active in cold weather months (November this year to March next year). Even so, new deaths in China point to the gaps that need to be closely monitored for this flu virus in poultry.

Chinese media quoted the Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Quan An as saying the government will strengthen measures to check the risk of bird flu.

"Based on what has been done before, this year, we will have to strengthen monitoring of transmission of avian influenza virus in humans, " spokesman Mao confirmed.

Xinhua reported that in Beijing, health workers were also mobilized to inspect specialized markets as well as poultry slaughterhouses in the capital after the government issued a new warning.