China reinforces H7N9 detection, prevention

BEIJING - Testing reagents for the H7N9 avian influenza virus have been distributed among 409 flu monitoring sites across the country, China's center for disease control said Sunday.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention also provided major infectious disease hospitals and research agencies with testing materials and methods for the newly discovered type of bird flu, according to the center.

Testing methods have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) and are available to health authorities in Mongolia as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong, the center said.

The center said it has participated in a series of teleconferences organized by the WHO headquarters and reported on the H7N9 infection situation in China in a timely manner.

The center is maintaining communication with health authorities in the United States and other countries on relevant technological cooperation. It is also assessing the pandemic risks of H7N9 and working out coping strategies with relevant international experts, it said.

On Saturday, China approved a new drug believed to be effective in treating the H7N9 avian flu virus, which had left six people dead as of Saturday morning.

The National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (NCFSR) on Sunday urged preventive measures to ensure food safety, warning the public against touching or eating sick or dead poultry.

The NCFSR has also asked people to thoroughly cook eggs and poultry products, as it believes the virus can not withstand high temperatures.

Authorities said there has been no human-to-human transmission of the virus.

Also on Sunday, the Ministry of Education publicized a statement on its website to urge schools to strengthen campus sanitation and raise awareness for H7N9 prevention tactics.

Spreading knowledge on how to guard against H7N9 and other flus among students, teachers and parents is currently a major task for various schools, said the statement.

School canteens were also ordered to purchase eligible food materials and properly cook the food to ensure the students' safety.

If teachers or students exhibit symptoms like fever, coughing or vomiting, they should be urged to go to hospitals immediately and quarantined, if necessary, according to the statement.