(CNA) Two Taiwanese epidemiologists set off for Shanghai Saturday afternoon to learn more about the new H7N9 influenza flu strain, Chang Feng-yee, director-general of the Centers for Disease Control, said Saturday.
Chang, who is also serving as head of the Central Epidemic Command Center, has been in touch with Chinese health officials in recent days on the avian flu outbreak and arranged for the Taiwanese doctors to make the trip.
Chou Jih-haw, CDC deputy director-general, said the names of the infectious disease specialists will "be withheld for the time being so as not to interfere with their work."
The two doctors' itinerary will not be determined until they get settled in Shanghai, Chou said, adding that the CDC will keep in touch with them.
Chang Shan-chwen, deputy superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital, said he hoped Taiwan could get information on the contact history of China's H7N9 patients and learn more about the environments that have triggered the new bird flu virus and which fowls carry the virus.
China has confirmed 16 H7N9 bird flu cases with six deaths so far.
The New Taipei Public Health Department, meanwhile, said that around 380,000 Tamiflu pills remain at various hospitals and clinics from a supply distributed late last year, which it said should be enough to deal with the new bird flu strain.
Health officials said the department supplies Tamiflu for use during the peak flu season between December and March every year and has decided to leave the anti-flu drug at medical facilities until the end of the April to deal with potential H7N9 cases.
They also urged the hospitals to step up their monitoring of patients and notify authorities of suspected cases within 24 hours.
Taichung health authorities have also decided to extend the use of free Tamiflu to the end of this month amid the H7N9 alert. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aall/201304060020.aspx
