Bird flu toll reaches 35 in China amid fresh outbreak in Tibet

The death toll due to the deadly new strain of bird flu in China has climbed to 35 with one more death due to H7N9 infection, even as a fresh outbreak of the older strain H5N1 was reported in remote region of Tibet.
Newly detected H7N9 virus has claimed 35 lives so far, while 57 infected patients have recovered, National Health and Family Planning Commission said.
Meanwhile, Tibet reported an outbreak of the highly contagious older strain of the bird flu virus among chickens, the Ministry of Agriculture announced today.
Thirty-five chickens at a farm in a village in Mainling County of Nyingchi Prefecture showed symptoms of avian flu and died last Tuesday, according to the ministry.

The National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory today confirmed that the virus was H5N1, after testing samples collected at the farm.
Local authorities have sealed off and sterilised the infected area, where a total of 372 chickens have been culled and safely disposed of in order to prevent the disease from spreading, the MOA said.
Since the first H7N9 infections was reported in late March, China has confirmed a total of 130 cases, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
China, along with World Health Organisation has commissioned research teams to find a way to treat the deadly disease, as well as to develop a vaccine.