China may suffer additional human cases of bird flu as new outbreaks occur among poultry, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health said in Beijing yesterday, calling the situation "not optimistic."
Meanwhile, the condition of country's eighth bird flu patient turned critical yesterday, and doctors struggled to save the life of the 6-year-old boy.
In Hong Kong, authorities banned poultry imports from Guizhou Province after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus was reported there.
Speaking at a news conference, health ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an said measures to control the disease must be strengthened as the danger of bird flu exists not only in China but also threatens other countries.
All 31 municipalities, provinces and autonomous regions on the Chinese mainland have set up bird flu monitoring centers. Bird flu prevention and control schemes have been improved to ensure the early detection and control of the disease, authorities said.
China's eight human cases of bird flu, which include three fatalities, were all subjected to strict medical surveillance, authorities said. The efforts included the monitoring of 38,000 people who might have come in contact with the victims.
"No abnormal clinical symptoms were detected in the patients. Nor were there human-to-human cases," Mao said.
China's eighth bird flu victim, identified as a native of Hunan Province surnamed Ouyang, began to suffer serious damage to both lungs yesterday, said Zhu Yimin, president of the Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital, where the boy is receiving treatment.
The Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday that the child was infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Ouyang began running a fever and exhibiting symptoms of pneumonia on December 24. He was transferred to the provincial-level hospital early Monday.
More than 150 people who had been in close contact with the patient are under medical observation, but no symptoms of the virus have shown up, authorities said yesterday.
Hong Kong's decision to suspend the import of poultry and poultry meat from Guizhou came after an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu was confirmed in the province.
Hong Kong earlier banned poultry and poultry meat imports from several other mainland provinces and one Canadian province hit by bird flu.
Though no outbreak of bird flu was reported in Hong Kong, the local government has waged a campaign to raise public awareness about the need for increased sanitation measures.
(Xinhua)