Map showing the location of Anhui Province – Credit Wikipedia
# 8281
Yesterday, in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hunan & Anhui Report Weekend H7N9 Cases, I noted that Anhui Province had reported its first H7N9 case of this second wave; that of a 66 year old man from Susong County. Today, we’ve word of another case from Anhui – this time fatal – of a 57 year old male from Linquan County, who died on the 7th.
While both patients hail from the same province, Anhui is a large place (53,900 sq mi, pop 59.9 million), and based on the MOH reports, geographically they were separated by several hundred kilometers.
In this instance, H7N9 was diagnosed two days after the patient died. First the announcement from the Anhui MOH, followed by a pair of Xinhua News accounts.
Province 1 new confirmed cases of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza
Published :2014-02-10
Anhui Provincial Health Department on February 10 briefing, the province new confirmed cases of H7N9 avian influenza case of human infection.
Patients Chen, male, 56 years old, Linquan people, February 9 confirmed cases of human infection of H7N9 avian influenza, February 7 died. Local prevention and control work is actively carried out by the relevant plans.
The Xinhua News report on this death:
H7N9 bird flu kills another in China
HEFEI, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in east China's Anhui Province on Monday reported the death of a man who had contracted H7N9 bird flu.
Surnamed Chen, aged 56, the man was a native of Linquan County.
He died on Friday before it was confirmed that he had the virus on Sunday, said a statement issued by the provincial health department.
China has reported more than 120 human H7N9 cases this year, including at least 27 deaths, with provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong worst affected.
As well as this cautionary report:
China predicts more H7N9 infections
BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Health experts predicted more H7N9 cases in the near future after east China's Anhui Province reported a new death from the virus on Monday, according to health authorities.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Yao Hongwen, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said that there will continue to be sporadic reports of H7N9 infections.
"No mutation of the virus has been identified so far that could affect public health, and transmission from animals remains the only way in which humans have picked up the virus," the spokesman said.
While the bulk of cases reported during this second wave have come from coastal and southern provinces, these two Anhui cases – along with the case announced from Beijing last week – reinforce the idea that the virus remains endemic across much of Eastern China.
