Home>News Center>China
       
 

China rings alarm over possible flu pandemic
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-12-30 22:09

China has increased measures to guard against a possible flu pandemic this winter-spring period in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that an outbreak is long overdue.

The Ministry of Public Health has recently discussed an emergency program to guard against flu and experts reiterated that the world should prepare for a flu pandemic.

Dr. David Ho, a prestigious Chinese-American expert on AIDS and epidemics, warned that a new round of flu triggered by a new virus strain is expected to break out from southeast Asia or China.

China should fully prepare since the epidemic might do the most damage there, Ho said at China's annual meeting of scientists in November.

Large cities have stepped up surveillance measures on flu.

Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province neighboring Hong Kong, has built up 19 surveillance sites at hospitals. In fact, Guangzhou suffers from more than ten small flu outbreaks each year and it's especially important to detect flu in the most dangerous season from winter to spring, according to Guangzhou Municipal Health Bureau.

Local health department will keep close watch on patients suffering from fever, cough and sore throat for three days.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) has drafted a plan outlining a clear command and response coordination structure for any influenza outbreak, catering for three different response levels, "alert," "serious" and "emergency."

The Hong Kong SAR government proposed to the Legislative Council Panel on Health Services ordering 1.1 million antiviral doses in advance of the peak winter influenza season.

Shanghai has set up 43 surveillance sites to monitor flu cases. Nine municipal surveillance sites will collect typical flu samples for Shanghai Municipal Disease Control and Prevention Center.

Shanghai generally watches for flu outbreaks from November 15 to April 1, said Wang Panshi, director of the Shanghai Health Bureau disease control center, and the municipality has laid out new programs to guard against SARS, flu and other infectious diseases until April 2005.

Zhong Nanshan, of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recently urged the public to receive flu vaccinations. So far, however, less than one percent of Chinese have received flu vaccination, far fewer than the 27 percent in the United States and the 7.8 to 17.7 percent in European countries.

A recent survey of 1,100 residents of Chinese cities show more than half of them think influenza is about the same as a cold, and 80 percent believe there is no necessity to take any precautionary measures.

During a department store promotion in Beijing, customers were allowed to choose various gifts including a medical card for influenza vaccine worth about 100 yuan (12 US dollars) and other small commodities less than 20 yuan (2.4 US dollars) each. Most customers preferred the commodities to the vaccine.

In China, each domestically produced vaccine is priced at about 70 yuan (8.43 US dollars) and each imported one is priced at about 100 yuan (12.05 US dollars).

Analysis shows flu virus mutates dramatically about every 39 to 40 years and the mutation can trigger a global pandemic.

The WHO says the flu virus has not mutated significantly for 36 years, indicating a major outbreak is probably impending.

Fears of a new global outbreak have also been spurred by last year's epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which struck hardest in Asia. The flu-like disease killed nearly 800 people worldwide.

Worries also have been stoked by the H5N1 bird flu virus, which decimated poultry stocks in Asia and spread to people. But there was no evidence it had acquired human-flu characteristics it would need to be passed easily among people.

If that were to happen, the resulting pandemic could cause as many as 7 million deaths, the WHO has warned.

"It is most worrying that bird flu could mix with human flu virus, giving rise to a mutated strain that would become transmissible among people," said Xu Ruiheng, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Disease Prevention and Control Center.

"Compared with SARS, the outbreak of a flu pandemic is more hazardous," Xu said.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Panels to watch price order of textile exports

 

   
 

Quake and tsunami toll may top 100,000

 

   
 

Farming policies yield rare harvest

 

   
 

Banks open up ATM cards to three nations

 

   
 

China to freeze aircraft orders in 2005

 

   
 

Social security allowances to be raised

 

   
  Social security allowances to be raised
   
  2 Chinese dead, 25 wounded in Thai tsunami
   
  Bridge over Yangtze River starting construction
   
  Banks open up ATM cards to three nations
   
  Soybean oil fails to meet quality standards
   
  Watchdog to tighten control of bad loans
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Vietnam finds new case of human bird flu
   
Japan has first case of bird flu in human
   
Suspected bird flu case found in S.Korea
   
Five people in Japan may have bird flu virus
   
WHO: Bird flu far more deadly than SARS
   
HK may restrict bird slaughter to combat flu
   
WHO: Flu pandemic inevitable, plans needed
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 伊人不卡久久大香线蕉综合影院| 国产熟睡乱子伦视频在线播放| 久久久久成人精品无码| 欧美人与动人物乱大交| 亚洲精品视频网| 神宫寺奈绪jul055在线播放| 国产一区二区三区美女| 国产h视频在线| 国产精品视频全国免费观看| CAOPORN国产精品免费视频| 宝宝看着我是怎么进去的视频| 中文无线乱码二三四区| 日本高清免费观看| 久久网精品视频| 欧洲熟妇色xxxx欧美老妇多毛网站| 亚洲欧美日韩一区在线观看| 波多野结衣电车痴汉| 偷自视频区视频真实在线| 精品久久久久成人码免费动漫| 啊昂…啊昂高h| 美女视频黄.免费网址| 国产一区二区三区在线视频| 青草青草久热精品视频在线观看 | 日韩在线第二页| 亚洲伊人久久网| 欧美日韩成人在线| 亚洲欧美日韩在线一区二区三区| 狠狠色综合网久久久久久| 免费在线色视频| 精品久久久久久久中文字幕| 动漫无遮挡在线观看| 纯肉高H啪动漫| 午夜高清在线观看| 精品国偷自产在线视频| 午夜精品一区二区三区在线观看| 美女胸又www又黄网站| 国产av永久精品无码| 色偷偷888欧美精品久久久| 国产A级三级三级三级| 色婷婷精品视频| 国产4tube在线播放|