China H7N9 bird flu cases at 104 cases, 21 deaths, researchers say number could be double
The Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission notified the WHO today of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, both from Zhejiang province, bringing the total confirmed cases to 104.
Image/CIA
The first patient is a 54-year-old woman who became ill on 16 April 2013 and the second patient is a 32-year-old man who became ill on 14 April 2013.
Additionally, a patient earlier reported from Zhejiang province has died, bringing the total fatalities to 21.
Despite the officials numbers from Chinese and WHO authorities, University of Hong Kong researchers say that the number could easily be twice that number.
Bloomberg news reports, Benjamin Cowling, associate professor at the university’s public health research center, said there may be 90 to 120 ill adults who haven’t been detected because their infections are mild.
The WHO still says there is no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission; however, WHO officials are in China now to study whether H7N9 was spreading among humans, particularly in the so-called “family clusters”.
Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization’s assistant director general for health security and environment said concerning the clusters, based on all the available information, “it’s not clear why we have these small clusters.’’
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