#12,717
It has been a couple of weeks since our last H7N9 report from China, but today the NHFPC has reported two new cases from a rare location; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the far north-west of the country.
You may recall that in early July, Xinjiang reported their first case in more than two years. On Aug 7th the WHO described that case as:
On 11 July 2017, the NHFPC reported one laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China. The case-patient was a 35-year-old male, who developed symptoms on 23 June 2017, and died on 30 June. This was the first reported case from Xinjiang since April 2015. He was a butcher and seller at a live poultry market.Today, the CHP is reporting on two more cases in Urumqi, the capital city of Xingjiang. Details, as usual, are scant. Hopefully we'll learn more about their exposures in the next WHO update.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 25) monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) were recorded from August 18 to 24 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.(Continue . . . .)
Two male patients in Urumqi aged 73 and 74 respectively had onset on August 7 and were admitted to hospital for severe pneumonia. The former was known to have had exposure to a live poultry market.
Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms. They should be alert to the presence of backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. They should also avoid purchasing live or freshly slaughtered poultry, and avoid touching poultry/birds or their droppings. They should strictly observe personal and hand hygiene when visiting any place with live poultry.
