China reports new H7N9 avian influenza case from Zhejiang Province, brings total to 140

A man from Zhejiang Province has become the latest confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, according to a Xinhua report Nov. 28.

Under a high magnification, this negatively-stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) captured some of the ultrastructural details exhibited by the new influenza A (H7N9) virus.
Image/CDC

According to local health authorities, the patient surnamed Zhang, 57, from Anji County tested positive for the H7N9 virus on Wednesday when he went to the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, for treatment for a fever.

He is currently in critical condition.

This is the third case reported in November, with the other two being reported, from Zhejiang Province and Guangdong Province, at the beginning of the month.

This is the fifth case confirmed this fall, and as one moderator at the infectious disease website, Pro Med Mail notes, “The prospects for the coming winter are threatening.”

When reported and confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), this will be the 140th case. To date, there has been 45 fatalities recorded from the virus.

Avian influenza A H7 viruses are a group of influenza viruses that normally circulate among birds. The avian influenza A(H7N9) virus is one subgroup among the larger group of H7 viruses. Although some H7 viruses (H7N2, H7N3 and H7N7) have occasionally been found to infect humans, no human infections with H7N9 viruses have been reported until the first reports from China in early 2013.

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