The Chinese Ministry of Health has asked all areas affected by bird flu to submit a daily report on cases of human infection of the highly contagious disease, including report of zero cases.
All institutions for medical care and disease prevention and control, personnel engaged in medical care, quarantine and disease control, self-employed medical workers and computer network managers of the disease control sector should be responsible for the reporting, according to the ministry.
Once a case or suspected case of human infection is found, the reporter must fill in the sheet of infectious disease according to law and inform, without delay, the local disease prevention and control center of the finding through telephone, fax or computer network, while at the same time taking immediate measures to curb the spread of the disease.
All the other work units and individuals in these areas are also obligated to report such cases once they are found.
The report on cases for the past 24 hours should be delivered to local disease prevention and control agencies before 10 a.m. everyday, the ministry said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2004)
