Man dies of bird flu in Shenzhen

A bus driver died in a hospital Sunday after becoming infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, in the southern city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, local authorities said. The 39-year-old man surnamed Chen died of multiple organ failures at 1 p.m., the Department of Health of Guangdong said in a statement. Chen was hospitalized for fever on Dec. 21 and tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Bao'an District of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, the department said. The department also said that during the previous month prior to his fever, he had no direct contact with poultry and had not traveled out of the city. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on Dec. 22 suspended supplies of live poultry to Hong Kong after a dead chicken tested positive in Hong Kong for the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. The AQSIQ said it would maintain in close contact and work together with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to jointly step up measures to control the epidemic.