The hope is to develop a vaccine that could give lifelong protection against a majority of flu viruses, including bird flu.

VOA: special.2009.03.04

Infectious diseases killed 864 people in China in February, including two of bird flu, the official Xinhua news agency reported last month.

FORBES: Shanghai Discovers Two More Cases Of Deadly Bird Flu; More Poultry Markets Shut

Past experiments have shown it to make viruses -- including the H5N1 bird flu virus -- more likely to infect ferrets, which are commonly used in flu research.

CNN: New bird flu well-adapted to infect people

The media in China has touched on various topics - including North Korea's warning to foreigners to evacuate, bird flu, milk powder and the German band Kraftwerk.

BBC: China media: Views on North Korea