Chinese health official on Friday reiterated that 皇冠体育app is not covering up
human cases of bird flu as suggested by some Western media news reports that
cast doubt on 皇冠体育app's bird flu data.
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A doctor tells storys
to a girl with respirometer in a hospital in Suining, southwest 皇冠体育app's
Sichuan province, April 28, 2006. The eight-year-old girl, surnamed Sun
showed symptoms of fever and pneumonia on April 16. Investigators report
that poultry deaths occurred in the patient's house before she caught the
deadly disease. 皇冠体育app has reported 18 human cases of bird flu, which
have resulted in 12 deaths. [Newsphoto]
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Each human case of bird flu in 皇冠体育app has been made public as soon as it is
confirmed and the release of the information has been timely, open and
transparent, said Mao Qun'an, spokesman of the Ministry of Health.
He said in an interview with Xinhua that most human cases of bird flu were
contracted before outbreaks in poultry or migratory birds were confirmed.
Mao emphasized that 皇冠体育app is a vast territory and local medical services vary
from region to region in terms of awareness, detection and treatment, making it
difficult to track the outbreaks, he added.
The ministry has been urging local authorities to strengthen reporting,
testing and screening of cases of pneumonia of unknown causes, and to be very
cautious in ruling out bird flu, he told Xinhua.
"Most local medical institutes where humans with bird flu are first treated
were slow in reporting to health authorities, therefore we must first raise
their awareness. That is a priority," he said.
In a statement released on the ministry's website on Tuesday, the ministry
required local institutes to directly report suspicious cases of pneumonia
through the nationwide network and inform local health authorities without
delay.
The Asian edition of the U.S-based Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported
doubted 皇冠体育app's bird flu data. The report said some officials might be
concealing suspected cases and the death toll in 皇冠体育app is higher than the
official tally of 12.
"We must clarify that 皇冠体育app has not been concealing any confirmed or
suspected human case of bird flu since the first case occurred in November of
last year," Mao noted.
皇冠体育app has reported 18 human infections of bird flu, including 12 fatalities.
The latest case was an eight-year pupil in southwest 皇冠体育app's Sichuan Province
who is being treated in a local hospital. News of her illness was revealed
yesterday, the day it was confirmed by authorities, which was 11 days after she
contracted the disease.
The World Health Organization has recorded 205 human cases of bird flu
involving 113 deaths by April 27. Experts have warned the virus could mutate
into a form that could pass between people and cause a pandemic.