- Sputnik International
Asia
Find top stories and features from Asia and the Pacific region. Keep updated on major political stories and analyses from Asia and the Pacific. All you want to know about China, Japan, North and South Korea, India and Pakistan, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Bird Flu Pandemic on the Horizon Scientists Warn

© AP Photo / Kin CheungHealth Workers Dispose of Chickens Because of Bird Flu Outbreak
Health Workers Dispose of Chickens Because of Bird Flu Outbreak - Sputnik International
Subscribe
China could be looking at a bird flu pandemic this year, say scientists who are looking at the rising numbers of cases affecting the Chinese population.

It’s the H7N9 virus, one of several strains of bird flu that affect people. It first emerged in humans two years ago and has stuck around, with 469 cases in China alone since 2013, and 170 deaths. Chinese health officials say 15 new cases have been reported since just the beginning of this year.

Scientists say it is a definite possibility that the virus could expand and affect populations in other regions.

© AP Photo / CDC, C.S. Goldsmith, T. RoweChina Bird Flu Strain
China Bird Flu Strain - Sputnik International
China Bird Flu Strain

“The expansion of genetic diversity and geographical spread indicates that, unless effective control measures are in place, H7N9 could be expected to persist and spread beyond the region,” researchers wrote in a study published in the science journal Nature.

Health authorities say that while cases of H7N9 went down after Chinese authorities closed live poultry markets and issued warnings about direct contact with chickens, they found that the virus has been mutating frequently, making it harder to control.

A workers (C) places a chicken in a bin during a cull in Hong Kong on December 31, 2014, after the deadly H7N9 virus was discovered in poultry imported from China - Sputnik International
Two H7N9-Infected Patients Die in Southern China

Researchers advise that while they study ways to curb its spread, strict preventive measures should be taken.

“Permanent closure of live poultry markets, central slaughtering and preventing inter-regional poultry transportation during disease outbreaks are needed to reduce the threat of H7N9 to public health," they wrote in Nature.


Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала