HANGZHOU, April 14 (RIA Novosti) – Four more people in China were reported to be infected with a lesser known strain of bird flu, H7N9, bringing the total number of avian influenza cases to 55 since late March, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
The four new infections of H7N9 avian flu were reported in east China's Zhejiang Province. The patients include two from the city of Huzhou and one from the city of Hangzhou while the fourth patient is suspected of acquiring his infection after traveling to the city of Wenzhou.
All the four patients tested positive for H7N9 at the Zhejiang Provincial Disease Prevention and Control Center on Sunday, Xinhua said, referring to a statement from the provincial health department.
All the four patients are in serious condition, the statement said.
Chinese health authorities have so far treated the infections as isolated cases and ruled out human-to-human transmission.
However, a fresh report by a team of Chinese experts, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicates that H7N9 causes unusually severe respiratory infection, sepsis and brain damage, and appears to be resistant to vaccination and treatment.
Experts also believe that the new virus has a high potential to cause a pandemic.
China has already taken various steps to curb the spread of H7N9 infections, including suspension of live poultry trade in affected areas, slaughter and incineration of poultry, and publicity campaigns among the population.
