News - More bird flu cases appear around Asia

China confirmed its second human death from bird flu and Vietnam reported an infection in a 15-year-old boy yesterday, as Japan's Health Ministry warned that local governments had stockpiled only a fraction of the antiviral Tamiflu necessary to fight an outbreak in its citizens.

The latest Chinese fatality was a 35-year-old farmer identified only by her surname, Xu, who died on Tuesday after developing a fever and pneumonia-like symptoms following contact with sick and dead poultry, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the Health Ministry.

The woman, from Xiuning County in the eastern province of Anhui, tested positive for the H5N1 virus, Xinhua said.

The area is about 100km northwest of Zongyang County, where the country's first human bird flu death was reported.

Taipei Times - archives