Tue, January 20, 2009
Chinese health workers disinfect the ground near a poultry stand at Xing Gong market in the country's Hebei province.
They are taking all precautions necessary after China confirmed two new human cases of bird flu.
A 27 year old woman died on Saturday and a two year old girl is critically ill after becoming infected with the virus.
China warns of further possible human cases in the run-up to the New Year festival as more people travel and poultry consumption increases.
Meanwhile authorities in Indian Kashmir are taking their own preventative measures during the
migration season,
Doctors collect droppings from migratory birds to test for the avian virus.
(SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) ALTAF AHMAD BABA, DIRECTOR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, SAYING:
"There are over 500,000 migratory birds that come to the state at this time of year. Our team has come here to collect samples and droppings of the birds because the concentration of the virus is in the droppings."
Earlier this year India's West Bengal state reported a fresh outbreak of avian flu in poultry. India has culled millions of chickens and ducks since its first outbreak in 2006 but has reported no human infections.
