A five-member team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese Health Ministry and China Disease Control and Prevention Center investigated on Tuesday the second human death case of bird flu in Xiuning County of east China's Anhui Province.

The joint team listened to a report on the measures taken by the country in the prevention and treatment of bird flu, and then examined the county's center for disease control and prevention.

WHO experts made an inspection in the hospital, where a 35-year-old female farmer surnamed Xu died of bird flu infection. They also visited Shandou Village where the dead lived, inquiring about the details of the victim's condition before and after getting infected.

Xu developed fever and pneumonia-like symptoms on Nov. 11 after having had contact with sick and dead poultry. She died on Nov. 22. The Chinese Ministry of Health confirmed Xu as a human victim of H5N1 bird flu on Nov. 23.

The investigation team arrived at Xiuning on Monday night. They also asked the rescue personnel who had participated in Xu's treatment for more details and had exchanges with accompanying experts from related cities and counties on how to step up precautions against bird flu.

The five WHO and Chinese experts left Xiuning for Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, on Tuesday afternoon.

They will meet with another investigation team from Zongyang county of the same province where China's first human death case of bird flu was reported.

(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2005)