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| FAO H7N9 Update Jan 24th |
#12,157
While we await the next batch announcement of H7N9 cases from mainland china (see announcements on Jan 20th (84 cases) and Jan 9th (83 cases)), sporadic reports continue to trickle out of some of the provinces.
Based on the level of activity we've seen over the past 45 days, these likely represent only a portion of the H7N9 cases now occuring on the mainland.
Today Taiwan's CDC has posted an update, with reports of new cases in Hunan, Henan, and Jiangsu Province - along with warnings and advice for people who will be traveling to China during the New Year's Holiday.
You'll notice that this update states that since October there have been 245 H7N9 cases reported on the Mainland, while yesterday's Hong Kong's CHP update put that number at 227. Such are the vagaries of tracking cases, with different cut off dates, and multiple (and sometimes conflicting) sources of information.
Whoever has the `right' number is fairly moot, as it is a constantly moving target, and only reflects those cases sick enough to be hospitalized and tested, and therefore likely only represents the `tip of the iceberg' of actual incidence of the disease.
As new H7N9 cases continue to be reported in China, travelers visiting affected areas in China urged to avoid contact with poultry and visiting live poultry market ( 2017-01-25 )
On January 24, 2017, officials from the China Health and Family Planning Commission confirmed 5 new cases of H7N9 influenza infection in China, including 3 cases in Hunan Province, and 1 case each in Henan Province and Jiangsu Province, which were respectively imported from Hubei Province and Henan Province. According to the report released by the China Health and Family Planning Commission, the ongoing H7N9 outbreak has escalated rapidly and reached a peak since December 2016, which is a month earlier than the outbreaks in the past year. Travelers planning to visit affected areas in China are urged to heighten their vigilance for avian influenza, practice good personal hygiene, avoid contact with poultry and birds and visiting live poultry markets, and consume only thoroughly cooked poultry and eggs in order to ward off infection.
According to the information released by the Chinese public health authority, 1 case reported in Hunan Province is a 37-year-old female who resides in Yueyang City and had exposure history to poultry. She is currently in critical condition. No further information has been provided concerning the other 2 cases reported in Hunan Province. The case reported in Henan Province is a 59-yaer-old male who works part-time at a restaurant in Wuhan City. On January 14, he developed symptoms. On January 20, he returned to his hometown for treatment. On January 23, he passed away. The case reported in Jiangsu Province is a 36-year-old male who runs a hotel in Yongcheng City. On January 15, he experienced high temperature. On January 22, he was transferred to a hospital for treatment. On January 24, he passed away.
Since October 1, 2016, a cumulative total of 245 H7N9 influenza infections have been confirmed in China, including 92 cases in Jiangsu Province, 45 cases in Zhejiang Province, 28 cases in Anhui Province, and 26 cases in Guangdong Province. On January 20, the Chinese public health authority announced that the ongoing H7N9 outbreak that began in December 2016 has affected mostly the southern provinces as well as areas surrounding the Yangtze River and the Pearl River Delta, which might have been a result of the local dietary habits. The local public health authorities have strengthened disease surveillance and the implementation of several control measures such as expanded live poultry market and cross-border transportation management measures as the range of the outbreak is extensive and the live poultry market is getting busy due to the approaching Lunar New Year holiday. More cases are expected to occur soon. As of now, no significant changes have been observed in the circulating virus strains and the epidemiological features of the ongoing outbreak. The cases reported have been sporadic cases.
Currently, Taiwan CDC has issued a travel notice of Level 2: Alert for human infections with novel influenza A viruses to Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, Guangdong Province, Fujian Province, Guizhou Province, Shanghai City, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Henan Province, Jiangxi Province, Shandong Province, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province, Hebei Province, Beijing City, Tianjin City, Liaoning Province, and Yunnan Province, and a travel notice of Level 1: Watch for avian influenza to the other provinces and cities in China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau.
Taiwan CDC advises travelers visiting China to practice good personal hygiene such as washing hands with soap and water frequently and putting on a mask when coughing and take preventive measures such as avoiding direct contact with poultry and birds or their droppings/dead bodies, and consuming only thoroughly cooked poultry and eggs to ward off avian influenza infection. If influenza-like illness symptoms develop upon arriving in Taiwan, please voluntarily notify the airline crew and the quarantine officer at the quarantine station in the airport. If the aforementioned symptoms such as fever and cough develop after returning to Taiwan, please put on a surgical mask and seek immediate medical attention. Moreover, please inform the physician of the recent travel and exposure history to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).
