Published Date: 2014-01-31 14:14:15
A 49-year-old-man in Hangzhou City was confirmed on [20 Jan 2014] to
have been infected with the virus. His wife and daughter who accompanied
him to the hospital, were later confirmed to also have flu, according
to the provincial health and family planning commission. The man has
since died, his daughter is in a serious condition, and his wife is
comfortable. Experts have reached no firm conclusion on how the virus
spread between the family members [see also ProMED-mail Avian influenza,
human (45): China (ZJ) H7N9, suspected cluster 20140130.2243613]. They
all may have had contact with poultry, or the father may have
transmitted the flu to his wife and daughter. Even if the case is
confirmed as person-to-person transmission, there is no need to panic,
said Li Lanjuan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering
and a specialist in H7N9 prevention. "So far there have not been any
cases in which one person transmits the flu to another, and the latter
transmits the virus to a 3rd person," said Li.
In this year's
[2014] epidemic, transmission has been limited to a 2nd person, who does
not transmit the virus to a 3rd. H7N9 is not likely to be spread in
schools, workplaces, or at gatherings, said Chen Zhiping, deputy head of
the provincial disease control and prevention center. The probability
of continuous person-to-person transmission is very slim, said Feng
Zijian, deputy head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Three new human H7N9 cases were reported in Zhejiang
on Wednesday [29 Jan 2014], bringing the number of infections in the
province this year to 56. All 3 are in a critical condition. In
neighboring Fujian Province, a 2-year-old child tested positive for bird
flu, according to the provincial health commission. The patient is now
recovering.
South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region also
reported one new case on Wednesday [29 Jan 2014]. A 56-year-old woman
showed flu symptoms for a week before she tested positive for bird flu
and is now critical, according to local health authorities. It is the
1st human H7N9 case in the region.
The National Health and Family
Planning Commission said on Wednesday [29 Jan 2014] that live poultry
markets would close if a case of H7N9 was detected. In places where no
H7N9 cases have been reported, the commission suggested that live
poultry markets be cleaned every day and disinfected once a week.
Chicken has been a required dish on Chinese dining tables for centuries
during Spring Festival, which begins this Friday [31 Jan 2014]. Chinese
farmers have traditionally raised chickens using free range methods,
especially in the countryside, which is seen by experts an additional
risk.
Live poultry trading has been halted in the cities of
Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Jinhua in Zhejiang, with the most human H7N9 cases
of any province. The province has launched emergency surveillance of
poultry farms, parks, and migratory bird haunts, and has halted the
flying of domestic pigeons.
Continued: http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=2246597
No comments:
Post a Comment