- BEIJING (AFP) -- The father
of a man in China who died this week of bird flu has also tested positive
for the H5N1 strain of the disease, the country's health ministry reported
on Friday.
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- A statement on the ministry website said a 52-year-old
man in eastern Jiangsu province, identified only by his surname, Lu, has
been confirmed with the virus, just days after his 24-year-old son died
on Sunday.
-
- The man developed a fever and pneumonia symptoms on Monday
while under preventive medical observation following his son's death, the
statement said. Two days later, Jiangsu bird flu experts conducted
tests to determine whether he had the virus and confirmed the diagnosis
on Thursday, it added. The ministry noted that all people who had
been in contact with the 52-year-old Lu were under observation but that
no new cases had appeared.
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- Lu's son was hospitalised 10 days ago after being diagnosed
with pneumonia, Xinhua news agency reported at the time, citing the Jiangsu
provincial health department.
-
- His condition deteriorated in hospital and he died on
Sunday, according to the report.
-
- Earlier this week, provincial health authorities said
they had not determined how the deceased Lu contracted the virus, saying
he was not known to have had contact with dead poultry. The
ministry gave no further details on the medical condition of the new patient,
nor any information on whether human-to-human transmission was to blame.
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