#12,175
Of the 19 Chinese Provinces which have reported human cases of H7N9 infection since the virus first emerged in 2013, until today Liaoning Province had reported the fewest, with just one case reported in June of last year. While still hardly a hotbed of activity, today Liaoning province reports their 2nd and 3rd cases.
Given its proximity to North Korea - which is widely rumored to be dealing with it's own bird flu crisis (subtype unknown) - any uptick in Liaoning Province is worth mention.
This report from the Liaoning Provincial Health Department, after which I'll have a bit more.
Liaoning Province, two cases of human infection with the new H7N9 flu cases
Source: Emergency Department Published: 2017-01-30 16:29:00
Recently, the province added two cases of human infection with H7N9 influenza cases were from Shenyang Kangping County and Chaoyang Beipiao. Ministry of Health and Family Planning Commission has organized a designated hospital to treat patients for treatment, at present, two patients in stable condition. At the same time, actively carry cases occurred epidemic prevention and control work.
Winter and spring of human infection with H7N9 influenza and other respiratory diseases of high incidence, to remind the public to be effectively prevented. Recommendation: (1) through formal channels to purchase through the quarantine of poultry and its products, avoid contact with sick or dead poultry and edible, to avoid live poultry market place. (2) the process of cooking poultry products, in order to separate raw and cooked and cooked food before eating. (3) develop the good habit of washing hands frequently, especially when you want to wash their hands after contact with poultry. (4) If there is fever, cough, headache and other flu-like symptoms, to timely treatment, and to the doctor whether there is contact with birds class history.
Despite a handful of brief provincial announcements like this one, over the past week news of avian flu cases in China has gone from a trickle to a drip. Some of this is no doubt due this being the biggest holiday season in all of Asia, with tens of millions of people in transit, and the inevitable delays that occur this time of year.
While we assume that the increased incidence of infections we saw reported for December and early January continues, we won't know much until Beijing's NFHPC decides to make another `bulk release' of information.
The last major release was 11 days ago (see HK CHP: Another 84 H7N9 Cases Reported By Mainland China), and only covered cases reported from Jan 1st-15th.Hopefully we'll get another interim release in the next couple of days - perhaps in Hong Kong's weekly avian flu report - due out tomorrow. In the meantime, while specific reports are few and far between, we continue to see a great many `cautionary' reports in the Chinese media on preventing avian flu.
