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61 additional human cases |
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arirish
Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215 |
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Posted: February 16 2017 at 7:22am |
CHP notified of human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Mainland
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (February 16) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that 61 additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9), including seven deaths, were recorded from February 6 to 12. The CHP strongly urges the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. The 43 male and 18 female patients aged from 22 to 85 had their onset from January 6 to February 8. The cases were from Hubei (11 cases), Zhejiang (10 cases), Jiangsu (nine cases), Guangdong (seven cases), Anhui (six cases), Hunan (six cases), Fujian (five cases), Jiangxi (five cases), and one case each in Shandong and Yunnan. Among them, 25 reported exposure to poultry or poultry markets while the source of infection of 35 cases was still under investigation. In addition, the CHP is closely monitoring one additional human H7N9 case reported in Beijing. According to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, a male patient aged 48 with exposure to poultry had onset in Xingcheng City, Liaoning. He was then sent to Beijing for treatment and is now in serious condition. "The number of human H7N9 cases reported in the Mainland has also hugely increased since the end of last year, with 419 cases recorded since last November. The number of cases in this wave so far has been much higher than that in the same period last winter. This shows that the situation is abnormal. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan also found cases imported from Guangdong," a spokesman for the CHP said. "According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 90 per cent of the patients in the Mainland reported exposure to live poultry, mostly with exposure to live poultry markets (LPMs). There was also an increase in environmental contamination with H7N9 virus as reflected by the positive rate of environmental samples collected from LPMs or other live poultry-related environments in affected provinces," the spokesman said. In view of the current situation, there is a likely risk that environments with live poultry in the Mainland might be contaminated with avian influenza viruses. Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, poultry markets or farms. They should be alert to the presence of backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. They should also avoid purchase of 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. http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201702/16/P2017021600541.htm |
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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I keep reading that live poultry market closures happened later this year, and we should begin to see a reduction in the number of human infections. I wonder when we'll see a decline, because 61 cases in 6 days is anything but that. If they sustain ten a day, that would push February's total way past January's record 192 cases. Is the virus simply showing up in more markets and therefore increasing it's chances to jump to humans, or is it finding it easier to infect us?
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arirish
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Or it may be becoming endemic in Chinese chicken flocks. If it crosses the border into India I'm afraid it will explode! There's a vaccine for H1N1 and India can't even stop it!
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arirish
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(Avian flu) 419 infections since November, situation 'abnormal'
Hong Kong | Feb 16, 16:43 The number of human H7N9 avian influenza infections reported in the mainland has soared since the end of last year, with 419 cases recorded since last November, the Centre for Health Protection said. The number of cases in this wave so far has been much higher than that in the same period last winter. This shows that the situation is abnormal. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan also found cases imported from Guangdong, a spokesman. "According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 90 per cent of the patients in the Mainland reported exposure to live poultry, mostly with exposure to live poultry markets. There was also an increase in environmental contamination with H7N9 virus as reflected by the positive rate of environmental samples collected from LPMs or other live poultry-related environments in affected provinces," the spokesman said. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=84963 |
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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As badly as India is getting hit by H1N1, I have to agree. I'm still stumped as to why it respects China's physical borders given that live poultry is sold in markets all over Southeast Asia. After almost four years, still nothing in places like Vietnam when other strains have managed to spread freely despite all attempts to eradicate them. What gives? I understand the role migratory birds play in the spread of viruses like H5N1, and the H7N9 strain that infects humans isn't the same one they're typically shown to carry, but poultry are transported or smuggled across the Chinese border all the time.
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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arirish
Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215 |
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JD- I agree, it's strange! Like all viruses "It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery, wrap in an enigma"! In 2013 it was spreading faster than H5N1! Yet in 5 years it's still only in China! Maybe you're right! Maybe it doesn't infect migratory fowl in the same way it infects domestic fowl and thus takes humans to transport infected birds from place to place! Maybe as stated in the article "Asia's hunger for meat could stoke diseases":
"Global population growth, which is set to further increase demand, and selective breeding practices have heightened the problem, creating the conditions for a "disease perfect storm". "All these (livestock) animals are genetically very similar... so if one is susceptible (to a disease) all of them are," Lubroth told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. http://in.reuters.com/article/asia-disease-food-idINL5N1FV4LS And migratory birds being more diverse aren't as susceptible. Too many questions not enough answers! |
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