Beijing,( March 1) Southeast China’s Fujian province has put its health service on maximum alert to take preventive measures against bird flu after a a man was confirmed to have been infected with the virus, officials said Thursday.

According to the provincial health department, a 44-year-old farmer, surnamed Li, in Jian’ou city in the province developed symptoms of fever, coughing and expectoration Feb 18 and laboratory test results showed he had been infected with bird flu virus strain H5N1.

Zhang Changpin, vice governor of the Fujian province, has ordered compulsory inoculation on all fowls, and required local authorities to set up vaccination files and issue certificates to vaccinated animals.

Zhang required the health, stock-raising and forestry authorities at all levels to be on high alert and closely monitor it.

He also asked local workers to quarantine and check the animals at every stage when they leave farm, enter slaughter houses and are put in the market. Those who failed should be punished accordingly.

The patient is now receiving treatment at local hospital and is in severe condition. She was confirmed to have made contact with dead fowls.

Li is the country’s first human case of bird flu in about seven weeks since China reported Jan 10 that a 37-year-old farmer in east China’s Anhui
Province had contracted bird flu but had recovered.

H5N1 infection killed 14 people in China since 2003.

According to Fujian health authorities, China’s Health Ministry has conveyed the information to WHO, health agencies in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and some other countries.(Xinhua)

Tags:Bird-Flu | Infectious-Diseases