Map showing the location of Anhui Province – Credit Wikipedia
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Although well down the list of Chinese provinces reporting H7N9 cases, Anhui contributed one of the first three human cases to this 15 month-long outbreak. Since then (as of CHP’s most recent report) there have been 14 cases reported in that province – until this week, as three more have been reported over the past three days.
Although a bit of a late-season surge, all three are described as coming from different parts of the province, and no epidemiological links are suggested from either the official statements or the Xinhua report below:
H7N9, like its H5N1 cousin, continues to circulate in avian species and occasionally jumps to humans – usually from direct contact with infected birds. The H7N9 virus appears to be more readily transmittable from birds to humans than does H5N1, but neither at this time show an ability to spread efficiently from one human to another.
Both, however, are capable of causing severe – even fatal – illness.
For now, the risks from H7N9 are geographically localized to Eastern China, and are mainly to those who are in direct contact with infected birds. The concern is, that given enough time and opportunities, one of these viruses could better adapt to human physiology and spark a larger public health crisis.
So we watch these sporadic human infections carefully, looking for any signs that the virus has changed.
China Reports 3 New Human H7N9 Cases
2014-05-22 17:41:37 Xinhua Web Editor: Mao
Health authorities in east China's Anhui Province on Thursday reported three more human cases of H7N9 bird flu.
A 40-year-old man surnamed Yang, a native of Taihu County, was confirmed to have been infected with the H7N9 virus on Monday and is in a critical condition, the provincial health and family planning commission announced on Tuesday.
Two other cases were reported on Thursday. One patient, 69, surnamed Cao, is from Tunxi District of Huangshan City. Cao was confirmed to have contracted the virus on Wednesday. The third patient, a 58-year-old native of Maanshan City surnamed Han, was confirmed to be infected on Thursday.
Cao and Han are both in critical condition. They are being treated in local hospitals.
H7N9 bird flu was first reported in China in March 2013. The virus causes severe diseases in humans, including acute and often lethal respiratory failure. The country has reported more than 200 human H7N9 cases.
