Bird Flu Watch

Two cases of bird flu in humans involving family members in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, have been effectively contained, China's Ministry of Health announced. It added all close contacts involved had been released from medical observation.

"None of those in close contact showed unusual symptoms and they were all released from medical observation on Dec. 12," the ministry said in a statement posted at its Website (www.moh.gov.cn) on Thursday.

China announced on Dec. 2 that a 24-year-old man surnamed Lu in the provincial capital Nanjing died of H5N1 infection. On Dec. 7, the man's father was also confirmed to be infected with the virus.

Eighty-two people who had contact with either man were put under close medical observation.

"The father, who has been under intensive medical treatment, is in stable condition and showing signs of improvement," the ministry said in the statement.

Neither men was said to have known contact with sick or dead poultry and so far the source of the infection remained unknown.

I prefer the cases where the victims find two dead birds in their backyards and decide to eat them for dinner. This presents a very cut and dry demonstration of what not to do if you want to avoid the bird flu. Less comforting is when the government says neither victim seemed to have contact with sick birds and we don't know how it happened.

The other little problem is that the Chinese government has been known to lie. Routinely. So no statement it makes in the paper (the disease is contained and has not spread, etc.) eases concern.