Chinese scientists have completed the genetic mapping of the killer H5N1 bird flu virus. Their next step will be looking at how the virus mutates.

An avian disease research lab at South China Agricultural University completed the mapping, according to the Nanfang Daily. The university is located in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

The breakthrough will help scientists understand how the virus evolves, says Xin Chao'an, a leading scientist at the lab and a member of the country's avian flu team of experts.

Meanwhile, a suspected outbreak of the H5N1 strain in China's southwest has now been confirmed by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory. The Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday that the confirmed case is in Yunnan Province's Songming County.

The local government culled poultry in affected areas and promptly imposed quarantine, the ministry announced.

No new suspected cases were reported Tuesday, the ministry said.

In another development, a South Korean scientist has developed a vaccine for the virus, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

The developer plans to start testing the vaccine on monkeys on March 8 and after about one month, move onto humans. He said the vaccine strain will be applicable to both humans and poultry.

Also yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue announced that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold a special meeting on dealing with bird flu on March 2 in Beijing.

At the invitation of the Chinese government, experts and officials at vice ministerial level from the 10 ASEAN nations will attend the meeting.

The ASEAN secretariat, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health will also participate in the meeting.

(China Daily February 25, 2004)