Four new suspected outbreaks of bird flu

CHINA reported four new suspected outbreaks of deadly bird flu in three new regions yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed and suspected outbreaks to seven.

The announcement confirmed fears the epidemic could be widespread in the world's second-biggest poultry producer.

"New suspected bird flu cases were discovered in Anhui (province), Shanghai city and Guangdong (province)," the Xinhua news agency said.

Two of the four new outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu were in eastern China's Anhui province, while one was in the eastern coastal metropolis of Shanghai and the other in the southern province of Guangdong, Xinhua said.

China yesterday also officially confirmed two previously suspected outbreaks of bird flu in central China's Hunan and Hubei provinces, Xinhua said.

Earlier this week, a confirmed outbreak of bird flu was also reported in the southern province of Guangxi, bordering Vietnam.

The new suspected cases were located in Anhui's Guangde county and Ma'anshan city's Yushan district; and Shanghai's suburban Nanhui district and Guangdong province's Jiedong county.

"Local officials have immediately taken measures to gather and kill the poultry and order vaccinations," Xinhua said.

Details of the outbreak locations were not given and it was unclear whether they were chicken or duck farms.

But Xinhua added: "The epidemic has been brought under control. No infections have been discovered in humans."

The revelation came as the World Health Organisation warned earlier yesterday that the scale of the bird flu outbreak in China could be far larger than previously reported, as it urged Beijing to ensure prevention measures are in place.

The UN agency said given China's size and its vast poultry industry, there was only a "small window of opportunity" to prevent a major outbreak of the disease which has killed 10 people and spread to 10 Asian nations.

"It's entirely possible that there are outbreaks elsewhere in China that have not been reported," said Beijing-based WHO spokesman Roy Wadia.

"This could cause the virus to spread faster."

China, which has denied allegations it is the source of the region's bird flu troubles, produced 9.8 million metric tonnes of poultry in 2003, making it the second-largest producer in the world, according to US figures.

The WHO has warned that while humans have so far only caught the disease through contact with infected birds or their droppings, bird flu could claim millions of lives if it mutates into a more contagious form.

Chinese people's close proximity to farm animals in farms and live animal markets coupled with the estimated billions of poultry in the country can increase the chances of that happening, WHO experts warned.

The outbreak on the outskirts of Shanghai is located just 50 km from the densely populated Shanghai.