A/H1N1 flu "spreading fast but under control" in China as millions inoculated

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The A/H1N1 influenza was spreading rapidly across the country but it remained under control, an official with the Ministry of Health said here Sunday.

Sun Yan (L), a doctor of Zhengzhou No.6 People's Hospital, receives the A/H1N1 influenza vaccination in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, Oct. 31, 2009. A vaccination program against the A/H1N1 virus is kicked off in the province on Saturday. Xinhua/Zhao Peng)

"Currently close to 80 percent of the country's total flu infections are A/H1N1 flu cases, though the state of the flu was still mild and there was no evidence of virus mutation," Liang Wannian said.

As of Saturday, more than 46,000 confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, 75 percent of whom had recovered. Among the 93 cases of serious condition, 55 were still in hospital, the ministry said. Chinese mainland has reported six deaths from the flu since Oct. 2.

Ministry experts warned that the flu has entered a period featured by high frequency and quick increase in the number of infected cases in the country, and it could last through March next year.