China is preparing to send the latest samples of human bird flu
virus to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of
Health (MOH) said yesterday.
The announcement came days after the WHO complained China was
not sharing samples of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus since
May 2006 even after several requests. "As requested by the WHO, we
will send two recent samples of the virus and one from a Beijing
patient who was infected in 2003," an MOH official surnamed Ma
said.
Five new cases have been reported in China, apart from the 2003
one that came to light only last year, since it last shared a bird
flu virus sample with the WHO.
"The process of handing over the samples is still underway, and
'biological safety' has prompted the MOH to ensure that they are
dispatched safely and smoothly," a ministry statement said.
Given the extreme caution with which dangerous virus samples are
handled and the strict, time-consuming procedures on both sides,
the handover usually takes several months, Chinese Center for
Disease Control and Prevention's press officer Wang Lin said.
Though it's not mandatory for member states to share virus
samples with the WHO, China has always sent them to the world
health body. It has already sent six samples of the human bird flu
virus, along with all the relevant information, to WHO's designated
laboratories. Two of them were dispatched in December 2005 and the
others in May 2006.
Upholding the principle of openness, transparency and
cooperation, the government has always worked closely with the
international community as part of the global effort to prevent a
bird flu epidemic, the MOH statement said.
WHO communications team leader Joanna Brent said she had been
confident of China's quick and positive response because the virus
has undergone a change and posed a greater risk to humans.
(China Daily April 20, 2007)