Zhejiang Province – Credit Wikipedia
# 9607
As noted before, unlike the past couple of years we don’t seem to be getting real-time H7N9 reports out of some of China’s provinces, and instead get bulk notifications – often lacking in case details – at irregular intervals, sometimes weeks after the fact (see Jiangsu Province’s Uncertain H7N9 Count).
Zhejiang province, which ended the 2nd wave with 139 confirmed H7N9 cases (the largest number reported by any province), has been unusually quiet this winter, reporting only 1 case in November (link), and two cases in mid-December (link), and then 4 cases in January (link).
Today Xinhua News is reporting 14 cases from Zhejiang province `this winter’, but without onset date information, leaving open the question as to how many of the 7 cases previously acknowledged are included in this total. I find no update on the Zhejiang Health Department website clarifying this.
Whether this represents 7 additional cases, or more, is something hopefully Hong Kong’s CHP will sort out for us in the next day or two.
In the meantime, here is the Xinhua report:
East China province reports 14 H7N9 cases this winter
English.news.cn 2015-01-21 20:37:15
HANGZHOU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- East China's Zhejiang Province has reported 14 human cases of H7N9 avian influenza infection this winter, local authorities said Wednesday.
Of the 14, two died, eight are in a critical condition, two are in a stable condition and two have recovered, said Xie Guojian, spokesman with the Zhejiang Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning.
Last winter, the province reported nearly 100 H7N9 human cases.
The closure of live poultry markets in the urban areas is given as one of the reasons for the smaller number of infections this winter, Xie said.
All 14 cases were from the countryside, small towns and city suburbs and most of the patients had contact with poultry, he said.
The official urged the public to stay away from birds, and seek treatment for fever and coughs.
