# 2623
It's been nearly a year since we've heard of a human case of H5N1 coming out of China, although we do hear of sporadic outbreak in poultry from time-to-time.
In addition, Hong Kong reports a couple of dozen dead or dying birds each year, infected with the virus, most presumably coming from mainland China.
So we know the virus exists, at some level, in China.
Given China's lack of press freedoms, and strict government control of information, exactly how prevalent the virus is remains a matter of some conjecture.
This latest victim, a 19-year-old woman, reportedly purchased ducks at a market near Beijing. She supposedly contracted the disease while slaughtering them.
She reportedly became ill on December 24th, entered a hospital on the 27th, and died January 5th.
According to this article, since falling ill she was in contact with as many as 116 people, including relatives, neighbors, and medical personnel.
They, presumably, are being monitored for the disease.
This report from Reuters.
China confirms woman died of bird flu in Beijing
Tue Jan 6, 2009 6:32am EST
BEIJING/HONGKONG (Reuters) - A 19-year-old woman has died of the H5N1 bird flu virus in Beijing after coming into contact with poultry, health authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong said on Tuesday.
This human H5N1 case would be China's first in almost a year. Experts said while the case was not unexpected as the virus is more active during the cooler months between October and March, it points to holes in surveillance of the virus in poultry.
With the world's biggest poultry population and hundreds of millions of farmers raising birds in their backyards, China is seen as crucial in the global fight against bird flu.
"The woman fell ill on December 24, was hospitalized on December 27 and died on Monday (at) 7.20 am," the Beijing Municipal Bureau said in a faxed statement.
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said the woman had had contact with poultry before falling ill.
China's official Xinhua News Agency earlier reported that the woman from eastern Fujian province had bought nine ducks at a market in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, and then gutted the birds.
She gave three ducks to her father, uncle and a friend and kept the other six ducks, the agency reported.
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