Chinese Bird Flu Spreads- Margaret Canady

On Monday, Chinese and World Health Organization officials announced that they have not found any human-to-human spreading of the avian influenza, also known as the H7N9 influenza. 24 cases and 7 deaths have occurred in the past week alone; this bird flu has been breaking out in central-eastern China.

The Chinese government is closely monitoring 621 people who had been in contact with the infected patients, and have found no sign of the flu spreading. So far, the cases have been "sporadic", but since the influenza is so new, "there are still uncertainties remaining as regards the aspects of epidemic prevention and control work." Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have begun working on a vaccine.

3 of the 24 cases of the H7N9 influenza have been listed as mild, which brings up the question of people having it, but it not being recorded since the symptoms are mild and hospitalization is not needed. The virus seems to be coming from wild birds and widely distributed poultry, but scientists worry the virus will evolve and increase its ability to pass through humans.

I hope that officials are right, and this new bird flu outbreak can only be passed from bird-to-human. If it evolves to human-to-human, then another worldwide flu epidemic could occur; transportation such as airplanes and trains have made diseases more accessible worldwide. Hopefully the scientists can create a vaccine quickly, and Chinese inspectors examine poultry carefully to see if they carry the disease.


Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/world/asia/china-avian-flu.html?ref=asia&_r=0