FIRST HUMAN CASE IN 2007 REPORTED
By Shan Juan
446 words
2 March 2007
China Daily
English
Copyright 2007 China Daily Information Company. All rights reserved.
A new human case of H5N1 bird flu, the first this year, was confirmed in China as health authorities step up efforts to develop a vaccine for the deadly virus.
The developer of the vaccine told China Daily yesterday it is waiting for State approval to start the second phase of clinical trials.
A 44-year-old woman from a remote village in East China's Fujian Province was diagnosed on February 18 as having the virus, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
The villager, surnamed Li, had developed a fever after she had eaten two chickens she had raised.
Tests by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the woman had contracted the H5N1 strain.
She only raised a few chickens, and disease control professionals have not traced the virus to other chickens in her village.
The source of infection, they suggested, might have come from migrating wild birds.
Li is reportedly in a serious condition at a local hospital. All who have had close contact with her are being closely monitored, although none have so far shown any symptoms of virus infection.
Zhang Changpin, vice-governor of the Fujian Province, has ordered the compulsory inoculation of all chickens, and has required local authorities to set up inoculation files and issue certificates for inoculated birds, Xinhua reported yesterday.
The Ministry of Health told Xinhua it had already notified the World Health Organization about the case.
Since 2003, the deadly virus has infected 22 people in China and killed 14.
The last case was a 37-year-old farmer in East China's Anhui Province, which was reported on January 10, although he had contracted the virus last year.
The virus remains essentially an animal disease, but experts fear it may mutate into a form that is easily transmitted to humans and trigger a pandemic.
The Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech, which is co-developing a H5N1 bird flu vaccine with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said it is ready for the second phase of clinical trials.
"Everything is ready for the second phase which will be carried out when the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) gives the nod," Chen Jiangting, director of the clinical trial research department of Sinovac told China Daily yesterday. "We filed the application last September."
She said the first phase of clinical trials on 120 volunteers showed the vaccine could provide 78 percent protection, and the figure meets the standard for seasonal flu vaccine set by the European Union.
"We are upbeat about the coming second phase of clinical trials," Chen said.
About SINOVAC
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SINOVAC) is a China-based global biopharmaceutical company, with a mission of "supply vaccines to eliminate human diseases", the company specializes in the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of vaccines and related biological products that protect against human infectious diseases.
The company's diversified portfolio includes vaccines for influenza, viral hepatitis, varicella, Hand-Foot-Mouth disease (HFMD), poliomyelitis, pneumococcal disease, etc., of which 3 vaccines have been prequalified by WHO, including inactivated hepatitis A vaccine Healive®, Sabin-strain inactivated polio vaccine (sIPV), and varicella vaccine.
SINOVAC has a leading edge in developing vaccines to combat infectious disease outbreaks and was among the first to initiate R&D during major public health emergencies, including SARS, H5N1, H1N1, and COVID-19. The company developed the world's first inactivated SARS vaccine (Phase I completed), China's first H5N1 influenza vaccine (Paneflu®), the world's first H1N1 influenza vaccine (Panflu.1®), and CoronaVac®, the most widely used inactivated COVID-19 vaccine globally.
Beyond its marketed portfolio, the company is advancing a robust pipeline that includes combination vaccines,recombinant protein vaccines and next-generation platforms such as mRNA technologies and antibodies.
With a long-standing commitment to innovation and global health, SINOVAC is expanding its global footprint by strengthening partnerships with research institutions, international organizations, and local partners. Through broader market presence, technological cooperation, and localized production, the company aims to accelerate vaccine development and supply, enhance regional access to high-quality products, and better address unmet medical needs while improving preparedness for future pandemics.
For more information, please see the Company’s website at www.sinovac.com.
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