Shanghai will begin on Monday screening international passengers for bird flu prevention.

All passengers leaving or entering China will be asked to fill in a health declaration form, specifying whether they have had "close contact with poultry, birds, bird flu patient or suspect over the past week" and whether they have "such symptoms as fever, coughing and being short of breath."

A passenger who has a temperature of over 38 Celsius degrees will be further examined; in case the person has been to a bird flu-hit area or had contact with birds or poultry, treatment at a designated hospital is required.

The health declaration and temperature monitoring measures were initiated in 2003 when the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic hit China.

So far, China has reported three confirmed human cases of bird flu, including two fatalities and one recovered case, according to the Ministry of Health.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2005)