(China Daily/AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-01 06:02

30th outbreak reported

China announced that another outbreak of the bird flu had appeared in the westernmost region of Xinjiang, bringing the total number of bird flu epidemics in the country this year to 30.

Some 300 farm raised poultry died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Biesituobie village in Xinyuan county on November 24, the Ministry of Agriculture reported on its website.

"On November 11, after testing at state bird flu laboratories, it was confirmed that the outbreak was the H5N1 avian flu," the ministry said.

The outbreak was the ninth to have hit Xinjiang this year, making the region one of the hardest hit by the bird flu.

The Xinjiang government has culled some 1.18 million farm raised birds within a three kilometer (1.8 mile) radius of the Biesituobie outbreak, it said.

Scientists warn that continued contact between infected birds and humans may eventually result in the virus mutating into a form that could be easily passed on by humans, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.

Nine arrested over fake bird flu vaccine

Nine people have been arrested for selling fake bird flu vaccines that are suspected to have contributed to an outbreak of the disease in northeastern China's Liaoning province.

Police have arrested officials of the Jinyu Group, a company based in Inner Mongolia that produces medicines, and of the Inner Mongolian Biological Medical Products Factory, the Liaoxi Commercial Daily reported Wednesday.

After a 20-day investigation covering four provinces and regions, police found the two companies had manufactured and sold 200,000 vials of 12 different kinds of bird flu vaccine nationwide, the report said.

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