T

he Health Ministry has called on those visiting mainland China to remain vigilant amid the recent alert over bird flu in the country.

China confirmed the first ever human case of the H7N4 bird flu on Thursday. It also prompted Hong Kong to issue a health warning for residents traveling to the mainland during the busy Chinese New Year holiday.

Indonesia, meanwhile, was still analyzing the distribution and determinants of the disease before issuing a health warning, the ministry’s director general for disease prevention and control Mohamad Subuh said.

“Always use a mask while you are there and maintain personal hygiene,” he said on Friday.

The strain was identified in a 68-year-old woman from the eastern province of Jiangsu, who was admitted to hospital after falling ill on Dec. 25 but has since recovered, according to China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission.

AFP reported on Thursday that the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city is a high-risk area for the spread of communicable diseases because of its high population density and busy regional and international transportation links.

“Travellers to the mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms,” the Centre for Health Protection warned after the H7N4 strain was reported by China.