China will establish several monitoring centers in the rural areas against bird flu this year after the completion of a national influenza monitoring network covering all the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the mainland, according to the Ministry of Health.

    The ministry said Monday the decision was made after the outbreak of bird flu in some places of the country and some neighboring countries, and the report of human victims of bird fluin Vietnam and Thailand.

    The rural centers will be used for flu strain detection and epidemic outbreak monitoring, as well as for specimen collection, test and analysis, in a bid to enhance the country´s capabilities to deal flu, the ministry said.