China confirms one more human H7N9 bird flu case in Jiangxi , brings total to 131
The National Health and Family Planning Commission of China notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, bringing the total confirmed cases to 131, according to a WHO update May 8.
The patient is a 79-year-old woman from Jiangxi province who became ill on 3 May 2013.
This negatively-stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) captured some of the ultrastructural details exhibited by the new influenza A (H7N9) virus.
Image/Cynthia S. Goldsmith and Thomas Rowe
In addition, a previously reported patient has died, bringing the total fatality count to 32.
In an interview with Reuters Monday, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Thomas Frieden, MD said, “This particular virus is not going to cause a pandemic because it doesn’t spread person-to-person,” Frieden said. “But all it takes is a bit of mutation for it be able to go person-to-person.”
“I cannot say with certainty whether that will happen tomorrow, within 10 years or never.”
In addition, Dr. Frieden said an analysis of the genetic code of the virus shows that it has receptors that bind to the lower respiratory tract of people, much like the more familiar bird flu strain known as H5N1. “That is why it’s causing severe disease.”
But it also has receptors that bind to the upper respiratory tract of people, which may explain why it is more transmissible from birds to people than H5 appears to be, Frieden said.
“If there is evolution in the virus, it could go person-to-person, and that could cause severe pandemic.”
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[…] According to the latest World Health Organization update on the outbreak on May 8, there have been 131 confirmed cases of human avian influenza A(H7N9), resulting in 32 fatalities. […]