China has provided 23 bird flu strains to the World Health
Organization (WHO) and publicized all these gene sequences, Vice
Agriculture Minister Niu Dun said on Tuesday.
He made the remarks in the Chinese capital at the bird flu
control seminar of the Asian-Europe Meeting that aimed to appeal
for more investments and inter-governmental scientific cooperation
to control the influenza.
Niu noted that the international community should work together
to fight against the deadly bird flu virus and to ensure healthy
development of the husbandry industry.
"For this, the Chinese government has provided aid in capital,
materials and technologies at its own capacity and actively
participated in a series of international seminars on bird flu
control."
David Nabarro, coordinator of the bird flu section of the United
Nations, called for all nations to share responsibilities and
conduct bird flu cooperation as an avian influenza outbreak was not
bound by borders.
Bird flu first broke out in Southeast Asia at the end of 2003,
and spread to Europe and Africa in 2005. To date, more than 60
countries and regions have recorded outbreaks of the fatal
influenza.
According to latest WHO statistics, 334 people were confirmed to
be H5N1 positive, of which 205 had died.
(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2007)