Eleven more cases of bird flu reported in China brings total to 71
Chinese health officials have reported 11 new confirmed cases of human H7N9 avian influenza since the last update, bringing the total cases to 71, according to a Xinhua report today.
Image/CIA
Infections were confirmed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.
The most recent update from the World Health Organization (WHO) still has the total at 63 as the additional eight cases have yet to be reported to the UN agency. There has been 14 deaths recorded to date.
Despite the increase in confirmed cases on practically a daily basis, director of Beijing Shijitan Hospital and expert on avian influenza, Bao Zhongying says there is no cause for panic and the virus is under control.
“Judging by the current situation, I think the disease is controllable. Because poultry is the major source of infection, and humans are not generally susceptible, if there is no mutation of the virus, person-to-person transmission is unlikely.”
The WHO says investigations into the possible sources of infection and reservoirs of the virus are ongoing. Until the source of infection has been identified, it is expected that there will be further cases of human infection with the virus in China. So far, there is no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission.
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