An influenza outbreak in southern China has been brought under control, the Guangdong Provincial Health Bureau announced yesterday.

It said none of the 286 people who fell ill in the village of Xuhuang near Leizhou City needed to be hospitalized and there have been no deaths. All those infected are recovering.

Guangdong Vice-Governor Lei Yulan ordered health departments to follow the development of the outbreak closely and step up efforts to spread awareness.

According to the health bureau, the affected people, most of whom are students in elementary and middle schools, had developed a very mild respiratory tract infection. Their symptoms included fever, coughs and muscle pain. The schools involved have been closed.

A local source explained the outbreak occurred because a large number of villagers gathered to watch performances of Leizhou Opera. The performances were staged in Xuhuang continuously over ten days before the outbreak began earlier this month.

There were only six new cases of illness yesterday, but there is no evidence that they are flu-related.

Feng Jiwei, director of the Leizhou Health Bureau, said the Zhanjiang Health Bureau, has delivered 150 kilograms of banlangen, a herbal drug for curing fever and flu, to the village.

(China Daily April 27, 2005)