Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) The
influenza A (H1N1) virus that has left more than 100 people dead in
India since January has not been detected in animals in Taiwan, the
Council of Agriculture (COA) said Monday.
The flu strain, which
carries both avian and swine influenza virus genes, has not been found
in migrant birds or in any fowl in Taiwan, said Huang Kuo-ching, deputy
director-general of the COA's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health
Inspection and Quarantine.
"We have consistently kept a close eye
on avian flu," Huang said, "Despite the presence of the H1N1 virus in
poultry, it is not the strain that has caused the outbreak in India,"
Huang said.
The new strain of H1N1 virus, most commonly known as
swine flu, caused a global pandemic in 2009 and has shown signs of
returning in India.
The country's Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare confirmed over the weekend that there have been 708 confirmed
swine flu cases across India since January and that 132 people have
succumbed to the infection.
In the Delhi area alone, 154 H1N1 cases have been reported, with four deaths, the Indian health ministry said.
(By Yang Shu-min and Sofia Wu)
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aLIV&ID=201302180017
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