Avian Influenza
China announces 6th human death from bird flu
By IANS
Jan 19, 2006, 13:07

China's Ministry of Health Wednesday announced one more human death from bird flu, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to six.

The patient was a 35-year-old woman poultry butcher surnamed Wei from Zhoujiaxiang Village of Jianyang City, southwest China's Sichuan province, said a report released by the ministry.

Wei showed symptoms Jan 3 and was hospitalised Jan 10 with fever and pneumonia. She died the next day.

Investigations showed that from Dec 25to Jan 5, eight households living in the same courtyard with Wei had found some of their poultry sick and dead.

The ministry did not say if there was an outbreak of bird flu at Wei's village.

Wei's samples tested H5N1 positive by the Sichuan provincial centre for disease control and prevention (CDC) Jan 12.

Later, China's CDC re-tested her samples and also got positive results. H5N1 virus was isolated from her samples as well, said the ministry.

She was confirmed to be infected with bird flu in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese government, it said.

Those having close contact with the new victim have been put under medical observation by local health authorities. So far, no abnormal symptoms have been reported.

This is the ninth human case and the sixth fatality of bird flu reported in China.

Early Wednesday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced that the Chinese government will donate $10 million to support the global fight against bird flu.

Wen made the pledge at the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza.

Over $1.8 billion of donations were collected for reinforcing global efforts in bird flu prevention and control at the conference on Wednesday, which was co-sponsored by the Chinese government, the European Commission and the World Bank.

Nearly 700 delegates representing more than 100 countries and regions and 20 international organisations attended the conference.

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