The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday confirmed a previously suspected case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Chao'an County in South China's Guangdong Province.

The confirmation was based on tests from the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory.

The Chao'an County government has been taking measures including fowl slaughter and compulsory immunization to prevent the spread of the outbreak, which is now under control.

In addition, the ministry on Tuesday also declared seven more areas where outbreaks of suspected bird flu cases have been found.

They are Lanzhou City and Jingyuan County in northwest China's Gansu Province, Fuyang and Jieshou cities in east China's Anhui Province, Pingjiang County in central China's Hunan Province, Xiangfan City in central China's Hubei Province and Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

As soon as the suspected cases were spotted, local governments began slaughtering chickens and implementing compulsory quarantine measures. Samples have been sent to the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory. No person has been reported to have contracted the disease.

Special task forces have been sent from the Ministry of Agriculture to help local governments implement quarantine measures and contain the spread of the epidemic.

Latest situations have been reported to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, some black swans died unusually in a wild zoo in Shenzhen, Guangdong's boomtown neighboring Hong Kong and some specialists have arrived there to make investigations.

Before the latest outbreak, bird flu had been confirmed in Long'an County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wugang City of Hunan Province and Wuxue City of Hubei Province.

Human infection report rebuted

A spokesman with the Ministry of Health (MOH) Tuesday refuted a report in Britain's Times that there were human infection of bird flu on the Chinese mainland.

The report in Britain's Times on February 3 was groundless and irresponsible, Xinhua News Agency quoted the spokesman as saying.

"There is no single person infected by the bird flu on the Chinese mainland so far," he said.

The spokesman said the MOH has strengthened the surveillance of human-to-human transmission of the bird flu after the first case of the disease was reported in South China's Guangxi Province.

Moreover, the ministry also started a technical program for inter-human transmission surveillance and lab testing for medical workers nationwide, he said.

MOH has formulated an urgent action plan to curb inter-human transmission, a plan to carry out epidemiological investigation, and a guideline to prevent transmission for people with close contact with sick poultry, he added.

So far, 588 people have been taken under medical examination and observance for in close contact with sick poultry. None of them was found to have the disease, he said.

Premier Urges Stricter Measures

Earlier on Monday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged governments at all levels to make preventing the bird flu epidemic a priority.

Premier Wen talks with local residents. [newsphoto]

Bird flu prevention is a tough job for China given its vast size, and backward conditions for poultry raising in most rural areas, Wen said.

The premier visited two affected regions in Shima Village of the city of Ma'anshan, East China's Anhui Province, and Shifosi Town of Wuxue, Central China's Hubei Province on January 31 and February 1.

Wen said officials at all levels should attach greater importance to the disease and reinforce the prevention efforts.

China's central authorities have issued guidelines and a series of policies on avian influenza prevention. Local departments should strictly follow and implement them, he said.

Regions with reported bird flu cases should take decisive measures to firmly control the spread of the disease and those with no reported cases should be well prepared for steps to deflect bird flu.

The premier also urged the strict implementation of compensation for farmers affected by bird flu.

Local authorities have been culling poultry within 3 kilometres of infected farms, and enforcing compulsory vaccination of birds within 5 kilometres of the infected areas.

Local governments should conduct public education campaigns about the disease to avoid human infection of the disease, Wen said.

WHO Experts Come

Also on Monday, the China office of the World Health Organization confirmed the arrival of two experts from the United Nations agency in Beijing to assist China's campaign against the avian influenza.

Office spokesman Roy Wadia said: "The WHO is in the process of identifying more international experts across a range of disciplines as to form a joint mission with the Chinese side."

He told China Daily the joint mission will be established in a couple of days and will co-operate with Chinese ministries of health and agriculture.

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