CLAIM : CHINA HAS COVERED UP TRUE NUMBER OF HUMAN BIRD FLU VICTIMS

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the human death toll from bird flu in China may be higher than the 12 people officially declared, by the central government, to be victims of the virus.

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"A person familiar with the situation told the newspaper some local officials may have concealed suspected cases of avian flu.

'The central government was quite upset from receiving information late from local officials,' said the person, who had spoken with Chinese ministry officials. 'They weren`t happy.'

A Ministry of Health spokesman told the newspaper some hospitals have simply not reported severe pneumonia cases in which the cause is not known.