Special report: Global fight against bird flu

    BEIJING, Jan. 24 -- A bird flu victim in China's eastern Shandong Province was not exposed to live poultry and was only known to have eaten chicken, said the Shandong Provincial Health Bureau on Thursday. The 27-year-old woman, whose name was not revealed, died of the bird flu virus last Saturday in Jinan, Shandong.

    Of the four deadly bird flu cases in China since December, three were exposed either to live fowl or market poultry.

    According to World Health Organization statistics, one fourth to one third of bird flu cases have no identified source of infection.

    Infectious disease experts at the Infectious Isolation Hosipital in Ji'nan warn the public to avoid contact with farm birds, wild fowl and bird excrement. There is no risk for consumers who eat properly cooked poultry.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ji'nan.

    (Source: XHTV)