China is strengthening bird flu prevention and control measures
although no new human cases have been reported for over a month, a
health official said Monday.
"We are still keeping a close eye on bird flu and have
strengthened scientific research and nationwide surveillance," said
Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesman Mao Qun'an.
So far, the virus responsible for the non-human infections has
shown no signs of mutation, and human-to-human transmission remain
unproved in clinical studies, he said.
China has enhanced research in human vaccines and drugs as well,
he added.
Monitoring of unexplained pneumonia cases has also been
strengthened by the ministry, which requires local health
institutes to screen pneumonia cases and report those of unknown
causes immediately to health authorities, Mao said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government continues to work closely with
international organizations in fighting bird flu.
China and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday
that they are setting up a center to fight infectious diseases,
including influenza.
The center, scheduled to open today at the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province, will focus on forecasting
and monitoring of emerging infectious diseases as well as training
and research, the WHO and the MOH said in a joint statement.
"We know from SARS and avian influenza that what happens in one
country affects another," Dr Omi, WHO regional director for the
western pacific was quoted as saying. "China is helping WHO and the
world implement lessons learned from recent emerging infectious
diseases for the national, regional and global public health
good."
The center will become a training base in Guangdong and other
southern provinces of China and might expand to become a training
center for neighboring countries.
It will also work with the Guangdong CDC laboratory to detect
emerging infectious diseases and carry out epidemiological research
and study the origin of diseases that can be spread from animals,
it said.
Last week, China joined in a pandemic response exercise in
prevention and control of bird flu organized by the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC), which aimed to test the preparations
of the organization's members for an epidemic in terms of
information sharing, technological support and prevention of
cross-border spread.
Mao reiterated that the public should stay away from sick or
dead poultry.
China has reported 18 cases of human infection of bird flu since
last November with 12 fatalities. The last case was confirmed on
April 27.
Globally, 225 human infections, including 128 deaths, have been
recorded by WHO, according to the WHO website.
At the 59th World Health Assembly held in late May, members
agreed on a resolution to voluntarily implement the WHO's
International Health Regulations a year earlier than scheduled in
the field of flu pandemic prevention.
In the resolution, WHO members agreed to give transparent and
urgent notice of any probable or confirmed human cases of bird flu,
and pledged to provide financial and other assistance to
governments that lack the means to respond to an avian or
pandemic-type flu outbreak.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2006)