Local health department of a north China's province has put 35 people in bird flu-hit Yangquan city under close medical observation, sources with the provincial government confirmed Thursday.

The state avian flu lab confirmed on Feb. 7 that the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic bird flu was the killer of 15,000 fowls at a fowl-run in Yijing Township, Yangquan City, north China's Shanxi Province.

The provincial health department said that all of the 35 peoplewere workers with the farm who had close contact with the dead birds. They have been restricted at their home to receive medical checks twice a day.

Vet departments in Shanxi has so far culled 187,745 poultry within three km from the affected areas after the province activated its emergency reaction program on the outbreak of the disease.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2006)