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Shanghai airport starts screening for avian influenza

Shanghai yesterday began screening international passengers for fever, a precaution aimed at preventing the spread of bird flu, the city government said.

At Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, all passengers leaving or entering the country now must complete a health declaration form that asks if travelers have had close contact with poultry, birds, bird flu patients or suspected cases over the past week and whether they have symptoms like fever, coughing and shortness of breath.

Passengers with temperatures exceeding 38?C would be further examined.

Those who recently visited bird flu affected areas or had contact with birds or poultry would have to undergo treatment at a designated hospital, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The precautions, announced in a notice on the government's Web site, are similar to those imposed during the 2003 outbreak of SARS, which -- unlike bird flu -- spread easily from person to person.
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