H7N9 seems to only infect Asians.+-

Hi Everyone,

I would like to draw your attention to an article in the Focus Taiwan news.

I'll put the full article below, but this paragraph caught my interest..

"The CDC noted that according to World Health Organization, a total of 290 H7N9 influenza infections have been confirmed around the world since the beginning of October last year, all of which were either Chinese nationals or imported cases originating in China."

Its not the first time I have read something similar where it has been speculated that H7N9 only affects Chinese. Looking through the current case histories listed here...

http://epidemic.bio.ed.ac.uk/influenza_H7N9_background

The speculation seems to have something too it as I cannot find any references to anyone not of Chinese origin who has contracted the virus.


Does anyone have a link or some verifiable information that shows the case history of any none Asian infections?



Full news article here...

Taipei, April 24 (CNA) All 94 people who came into contact with a sick Chinese tourist have tested negative for the H7N9 avian flu virus with which the woman is infected, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

The Chinese tourist was confirmed Tuesday as having H7N9 avian influenza, and two other tourists in the same group later developed related symptoms but have since tested negative for the virus, the CDC said.

It said 92 other people, including members of the woman's family, other visitors in her tour group and some passengers on her flight to Taiwan, were also tested for H7N9 but the results were all negative.

Among them, however, 71 are receiving assistance to help prevent the spread of the virus, the CDC said.

Except for the patient herself, all 32 Chinese visitors in the tour group left Taiwan on Thursday, the CDC said.

The patient is the third confirmed imported case of H7N9 avian influenza in Taiwan, following a first case confirmed in April 24, 2013 and a second case on December 31.

Since the first case, a total of 576 suspected H7N9 infections have been reported to the CDC, though all but those three have proven negative, it said.

The CDC noted that according to World Health Organization, a total of 290 H7N9 influenza infections have been confirmed around the world since the beginning of October last year, all of which were either Chinese nationals or imported cases originating in China.

It urged visitors to China to maintain good personal hygiene, to avoid direct contact with poultry and birds or their droppings, and to stay away from traditional markets where live poultry is sold.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM /pc/WH


http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201404240025.aspx

Utwig.

Hi,

The most recent investigations shows its more likely to be the wet feather plucking machines that spray droplets of blood out in a radius of about 8ft that really do it.

If the outbreak in China was limited only to people who have had contact with poultry then I would not have asked the question, however, it is not limited to that group so Im kinda missing the point of your response.

Do you have any link or info about patients who are not Chinese?

Utwig.

CRS, DrPH wrote: ^Well, who the hell else would have face-to-face contact with a live chicken in China (or its excrement)??

You crack me up

The only problem is the same scenario plays out all over the globe in third world countries that rely heavily on the chicken economy - including countries that border China. It's baffling to me how a virus can respect a border like this one has.

That one is definitely suspicious - how did the US end up with a pig virus in it's livestock that apparently jumped straight from China with no obvious pathway?
And I agree - China's definitely not above sabotaging a competitor by infecting their food chain, especially if it's a pathogen that they're having to deal with themselves - they probably justify it as leveling the playing field. If you look at the abuses that routinely take place with the apparent approval of Beijing (torture and killing of Tibetan Buddhists, harvesting of donor organs and tissues from conscious prisoners, fur farms where cats, dogs, rabbits and raccoons are skinned alive in their thousands), there really isn't much that they would balk at.