Local medical workers have screened 57,000 people living in bird flu-hit Heishan County in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

No human cases have been reported.

The information was released by Wang Yunwen, deputy secretary-general of the Jinzhou municipal government.

The checks mainly focused on 3,624 people in close contact with the sick poultry.

Fifty task forces have been set up to provide quarantine and medical services at the affected areas, involving 180 experts from the provincial, Jinzhou municipal and Heishan county-level departments.

They are disinfecting the affected sites and handing out prevention drugs to those in contact with the sick poultry.

The county has also launched a medical quarantine area to receive those in close contact with the dead poultry. The health conditions of those in quarantine are collected every day, including their body temperature and other information on flu symptoms.

Local farmers found some chickens dying in Badaohao township and reported to the local government. China's Ministry of Agriculture later confirmed the case as H5N1 bird flu.

Heishan county is located on the migratory birds' route from East Asia to Australia, and more than 20 dead magpies and other wild birds have been spotted.

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2005)