Avian influenza A(H5N1) in China - update 10

27 January 2004

The Ministry of Health in China has today confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in poultry in the southern province of Guangxi. The H5N1 strain was detected in samples taken from a duck farm.

Testing is under way of samples from poultry outbreaks in the adjacent Hunan and Hubei provinces. Ducks are involved in the outbreak in Hunan, and chickens are involved in Hubei.

Strict measures to control all outbreaks, including culling and quarantine, have been undertaken.

No cases of human illness linked to these outbreaks have been detected to date.