WHO Investigates China's First Human Bird Flu Case

WHO Investigates China's First Human Bird Flu Case

Accompanied by their Chinese counterparts, WHO experts arrived at the disease control and prevention center of Zongyang County at 8:30 AM.

"You tell us the situation frankly, and we hope we can give you some help with your work," Xu Xiyan, a WHO expert from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said to his colleagues. Head of Zongyang County Wang Changgen briefed WHO experts on the county's measures of preventing bird flu, related medical facilities and other measures that have been taken. A 24-year-old woman surnamed Zhou, was confirmed by China's Ministry of Health to have died from H5N1 bird flu on November 16.

WHO experts interviewed persons in charge of health, agriculture, disease control and animal husbandry departments of Zongyang and Anqing city, where the county is located. After discussions and exchanges, WHO experts examined the laboratory and facilities in the center, and then went to the village where Zhou lived, only a few kilometers from the Yangtze River. It has more than 200 households and over 700 villagers.

WHO experts interviewed Zhou's parents and surveyed parts of her house, the kitchen, the henhouse and yard.

At 14:00 PM, the experts visited the People's Hospital of Tongling city where Zhou had received treatment and died despite rescue efforts on November 10. They had in-depth discussions with more than ten doctors and nurses who had participated in Zhou's treatment and read Zhou's medical records. The experts' team ended their investigation at 4:00 pm.

(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2005)

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