A 21-year-old man in central China's
Hubei Province has been infected with the H5N1
bird flu virus and is in a critical condition, the Ministry of
Health reported yesterday.
The man, surnamed Lai, is a migrant worker in Wuhan, capital city
of Hubei Province. He showed symptoms of fever and pneumonia on
April 1 and was hospitalized, said a report released by the
ministry.
The case brings the total number of human cases of bird flu in
China to 17 which have resulted in 11 deaths.
The patient's infection has been confirmed as bird flu in
accordance with Chinese official standards as well as those of the
World Health Organization (WHO), the ministry said.
Those who have had close contact with Lai have been put under
medical observation by local health authorities. So far no bird flu
symptoms have been reported.
The ministry has been in contact the WHO and the new case,
officials in several countries as well as officials in Hong Kong,
Macao and Taiwan.
(China Daily April 19, 2006)