After South Korea, Japan, China discovers two more cases of human bird flu

China has discovered
two more cases of
human bird flu
infection. South Korea
and Japan are
working to contain
outbreaks of different
strains of the virus.


In Xiamen, a city in China's
eastern Fujian province,
local authorities halted
poultry sales from Thursday
in the Siming district, after
a 44-year-old man was
diagnosed with H7N9 flu on
Sunday, state news agency
Xinhua reported.
A man diagnosed with the
H7N9 strain of bird flu is
being treated in Shanghai,
after travelling from the
neighboring province of
Jiangsu, the Shanghai
Municipal Commission of
Health and Family Planning
said on its website.
The patient is being treated
in hospital and is stable
condition, the South China
Morning Post reported.
The latest incidents come
after Hong Kong confirmed
an elderly man was
diagnosed with the disease
earlier this week.
Health officials in South
Korea and Japan are also
working to contain
outbreaks of different
strains of the virus - which
is most likely to strike in
winter and spring.
Both countries have
ordered the killing of tens
of millions of birds in the
past month, stoking fears of
regional spread.
China's authorities said
they would ban imports of
poultry from countries
where there are outbreaks
of highly pathogenic bird
flu. It already prohibits
imports from more than 60
nations, including Japan
and South Korea.
Heavy losses expected
The poultry industry is
expecting heavy financial
losses, in particular as
farmers in China are
preparing for the year's
peak demand during Lunar
New Year celebrations at
the end of January.
Farmers have in recent
years taken measures to
prevent the disease.
The last major bird flu
outbreak in mainland China
in 2013 killed 36 people and
caused about $6.5 billion
(6.2 billion euros) in losses
to agriculture.