Lunar New Year food safety blitz

The ministry's mid-term R&D outline encourages researchers to develop new drugs and improve the prevention and cure of infectious diseases, such as AIDS and hepatitis, by 2020.

More than 1,200 Chinese died of infectious diseases last month, 200 more than in the corresponding month in the previous year and up 300 from the previous month, the ministry said.

The mainland confirmed that one person died of bird flu this month.

Huang Yanqing, a native of the eastern Fujian Province, was the first human bird flu case reported in Beijing since 2003, according to the municipal health bureau.

Huang fell ill on December 24. She was admitted to hospital on December 27. She tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza and died on January 5.

Doctors have examined and discharged 200 people who had been in contact with the woman.

Editor:Du Xiaodan