The mutation was found in samples collected from two patients in Guangdong province last month. China CDC had already reported the case to the World Health Organization.
Avian influenza A (H7N9) continues to spread through parts of China. Early in January, China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission called for extra efforts to control and prevent the spread of the H7N9 avian flu virus amid high season for bird flu.
The first case of a human contracting avian influenza virus of the H7N9 strain was registered in China in March 2013. China has imposed bans on poultry imports from affected countries. Curbs are already in place against some 60 nations, including Japan and South Korea.
According to the media reports, at least ten people died from the virus since the beginning of 2017.
