Seven human cases of
H7N9 avian influenza — including two fatal cases — have been
reported in the eastern part of the China around Shanghai. This is a different
strain of bird flu from H5N1 avian influenza, which has killed 371 people out of
622 infected in 15 countries since 2003.
The four newest
cases have been reported in China's eastern Jiangsu Province, including a woman
in Nanjing who works slaughtering poultry, a man in
Suzhou, a woman in Wuxi and a woman in Suqian. The official Chinese news agency
Xinhua says 167 people who were in close contact with the four don't appear to
have any flu symptoms.
A total of 167 people who had come into contact with the four
showed no symptoms of fever or respiratory illnesses, it said. That suggests —
but doesn't prove — that the virus isn't passing from person to person, said
experts.
On March 31, China reported three H7N9 bird flu infections: two
in Shanghai and one in Anhui. The two Shanghai victims died and the third
patient is in critical condition, said Xinhua. There's no suggestion yet that
they infected any of their friends or relatives, either, Chinese officials have
said.
Chinese officials have not said what they are doing to see if
the H7N9 virus is spreading among poultry flocks.
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