Fujian Province, the first case of human infection of H7N9 patients had contact with live chickens experts explain

...Daughter-in-law, transport, or sale of poultry, for He Gonggong help handling infected with H7N9, the daughter-in-law did not thing? Experts say, Luomou has over sixty years, compared with the young daughter-in-law, poor resistance, thus infected with H7N9.

In the morning of April 25, Longyan City, the agricultural sector in the patient's home and the surrounding poultry, sampling and testing of high Beizhen poultry market, not found in animal H7N9 avian influenza virus.http://www.fjsen.com/c/2013-04/29/content_11268245.htm

Shandong the H7N9 children with pulmonary edema four close contacts abnormalities

...Currently, Zhang's wife, is accompanied by his son isolated in a separate ward. Asked the child's current situation, she said, very good, very stable.Also with respect to the "double whammy", but witnessed children signs some comfort.　　Children with medical treatment team member Li Jinyuan to 29 also introduced children's lungs local edema symptoms, but her condition has been stable condition compared to the previous report in children is slightly heavier, but still are severe.

 4 who have flu-like disease for the mother, grandmother and two sisters　　It is understood that Zhang's two daughters are still in the home quarantine observation status. 　　29, according to the smooth introduction of Zaozhuang City, CDC director Road, Zhang's son cases, been identified close contacts and 4, respectively, mother, grandmother and two sisters. Currently, medical observation influenza like disease. 　　5 famous people, Zhang cases identified in the original health sector 12 close contacts of the column. It is understood that seven others were released on the 29th medical observation. Zhang's wife told reporters always liked the husband of the child's home in 16 -21 days fever during normal contact with the children, there is no special attention to.

 　　Open the way Shun, April 23, Zhang was diagnosed for the province's first case of H7N9 patients, disease control officers had close contacts acquisition throat swab samples for testing was negative, no flu-like symptoms found. Subsequently, in accordance with national medical observation process, they were quarantined at home and observe.Twice daily and a routine measure body temperature observed by the CDC staff. 　　
According to the smooth introduction of road, according to the process requirements, April 27 was originally the last day of the medical observation. In the morning, Interrupted no exception. In the afternoon, found children of low-grade fever of 37.2 ° C. CDC staff told me, I immediately feel the need to be vigilant. "Road Kai-shun disease control staff immediately arranged to come and sample the night that is found to be positive. 

Parent-child cases no causal association focuses on the detection win duration of treatment　　according to the process requirements of the national guard Planning Commission, fever 37.2 ℃ is not in the focus on the detection of the column. Special period of special performance, or disease control staff chances. Also proved that the medical treatment of Zhang's son won the time.Tall Sichuan, the provincial team leader, believes that Tamiflu within 48 hours, medical treatment is a good start. 　　Zhang's wife told reporters that morning, she first discovered the child's temperature 37.2 ° C, do not think, will be the first children to eat a little medicine, found that fever is not obvious very nervous after a few hours, reports the CDC, the relevant immediately rush over. Overnight testing showed positive 28, 8:00 pm, children with access to the Zaozhuang City Hospital for treatment under isolation. 

　　Current epidemiological investigation, found no necessary link between the cases of the father and son. "Road Kai-shun said that since found that since the first case of H7N9 patients, close contacts are done at least once a throat swab samples tested. In addition, the acquisition of high exposure the crowd samples tested over 50 cases, over 200 cases of environmental samples. , There is no causal link between the first case and in this case, up to the current results. This also confirms the industry's general view of the "no descendant of evidence". 　　Zhang's wife told reporters that the husband has improved and stable child will recover. Because "everyone to help us. http://roll.sohu.com/20130430/n374475636.shtml

No h2h in Shandong..

H7N9 avian influenza Latest news: Shandong parent-child cases significant differences difficult to witness descendant

Latest news of the H7N9 avian influenza, as of now, the Department of Shandong reported two cases of human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza confirmed cases, a parent-child relationship, this is the first time in Shanghai family gathering cases, experts said, that his father clinical symptoms difference , it is difficult to prove that the H7N9 avian flu virus can be transmitted person to person.

April 28 report of the Health Department of Shandong, Shandong new case of human infection of H7N9 avian influenza confirmed cases. Children Zhang, male, 4 years old, live in Zaozhuang City, and its parent Shandong Province on the 25th confirmed the first case of human infection of H7N9 avian influenza confirmed cases. According to the initial findings and conclusion of the study at home and abroad, has not yet found evidence of infection.

Obvious differences in parent-child symptoms

The father and son has illness, mean that H7N9 rendering the performance of human-to-human transmission? The provincial medical treatment team leader, Professor Gao Taichuan interview that the difference of the clinical symptoms of the Father and of the Son and of the two.

Professor Gao Taichuan describes the situation of children is relatively stable infection are pediatric emergency room treatment, eating and sleeping is relatively normal. Children showing the local symptoms of pneumonia, but her condition is not severe but not critically ill. According to the clinical diagnosis, the children viruses and bacteria combined infection, white blood cell count is high. Contrast diagnosis based on the beginning of the incidence and six hours later, the development of the children's condition and did not show the rapid deterioration of the situation.

Shandong second case of human infection of H7N9 patients did not enter the intensive care unit, but for isolation and treatment of infectious diseases in the hospital

"Taking the cure within 48 hours of onset, which is very timely." Tall Chuan said, according to the child's weight, the children have been taking a 45 mg dose of Tamiflu.

Zaozhuang City, director of Critical Care Medicine Li Jinyuan to introduce children are mild lung tissue damage, does not belong to the ranks of the severe. The children did not go into the intensive care unit for quality, but in Zaozhuang Municipal Hospital of Infectious Diseases, a separate ward for treatment. Li Jinyuan said that before the Beijing cure H7N9 avian influenza girl children, but children more serious cases than Beijing.

The progression of the disease but the children's father is unstable, on admission, no obvious pathological symptoms, but the hospital after 4 hours, the rapid development of the disease, the rate of deterioration soon. "Tall Chuan said the children's father after 7 days after emergency treatment, although not completely out of danger, but relatively stable vital signs, do not need the support of ECMO (artificial heart-lung machine).

No clear evidence of human-to-human transmission "

On a time basis, the children are the father hospitalized six days, was found to have a fever. As the original 12 in close contact with one of the children in the Interrupted been determined not showing flu-like symptoms, overwhelmed diagnosed is a "human-to-human transmission performance?

Tall Chuan, because the presence of a history of close contact, not directly related to exclude possible, but only from the point of view of symptoms, the gap between the two is obvious. Shandong Zaozhuang father and son have confirmed human infection of H7N9 avian influenza, at present, only from the point of view of clinical symptoms, father and son performance difference is obvious on avian flu "human-to-human transmission," saying there is no clear evidence to support. "

The same time, on a time basis, the degree of association of the symptoms of the father and son do not have the "human-to-human transmission performance. H7N9 avian influenza longest incubation period of seven days, the children in father hospitalized for 8 days, was found to have a fever, children diagnosed with the H7N9 avian influenza patients time the past 10 days. This case, the emergence of the cases of familial aggregation, does not mean that the virus H7N9 has mutated into a human influenza virus continued to spread from person to person.

Chicken originally bred in the patients of the neighborhood has been processed, sheds and also sprinkle lime powder disinfection

For the presence or absence of contact between the children and their father's illness, the existence of the possibility of human-to-human transmission. Zaozhuang City, director of Critical Care Medicine Li Jinyuan to represent and found no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and he pointed out that the prevalence of children with their parent contact will study as a research direction, but one or two patients can not be drawn from person to person conclusions.

Previously, Shanghai, there have been two cases of human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza family of clusters of cases, involving a couple and a father and son. WHO study concluded that the husband and wife and parent-child co-incidence small-scale gathering the onset still can not prove the existence of human-to-human transmission, the key to studying the co-exposure history, may be common exposure to animal or a certain environment.

Feng Zijian, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control Health Emergency Center also said that the emergence of a small amount of family clusters of cases, does not mean that the H7N9 virus has mutated into a human influenza virus continued to spread from person to person, but does not exclude the presence of limited human-to-human transmission "capability. Currently, the state health department epidemiological and laboratory investigations of all cases trace shows that H7N9 is an avian influenza virus, the main mode of transmission of infection from birds to people.http://www.guancha.cn/society/2013_04_30_141551.shtml

Safety pledge on poultry imports

Candy Chan and Agence France-Presse
Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Mainland health authorities say poultry products shipped to Hong Kong are safe to eat provided they are properly cooked.
The assurance came as two more mainlanders were confirmed as having the deadly H7N9 strain of bird flu, bringing the total number of infections to 126 - including one in Taiwan.
A patient surnamed Chen died in Shanghai after 12 days of medical treatment failed, Xinhua News Agency said yesterday, raising the death toll to 24.
Cases have been reported in 10 mainland provinces, mainly in the eastern provinces, and one in Taiwan.
The World Health Organization said there has been no evidence so far of human-to-human transmission but warned that H7N9 is "one of the most lethal" influenza viruses ever seen.
Chinese researchers, reporting in The Lancet medical journal, said they have confirmed poultry as a source of the virus among humans.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has declared that mainland poultry exported to Hong Kong is safe for consumption after the virus was detected in Dongguan, Guangdong province, for the first time on Sunday.
About 23,000 samples from 347,000 poultry imported by Hong Kong and Macau were analyzed in the first 23 days of the month, and none tested positive for H7N9.
Authorities over the border have stepped up the monitoring of poultry farms that provide chickens to Hong Kong.
Temperature checks will also be increased as thousands of mainlanders are expected to visit the territory during the May 1 Golden Week holiday.
The central government has ordered the culling of chickens in some areas and the safe disposal of carcasses to prevent the birds from entering the food chain.
Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man said Hong Kong does not intend to stop importing poultry from the mainland since there are no farms that supply the territory within a 13-kilometer perimeter of the affected market in Dongguan.
New cases of H7N9 include those of an 80-year-old farmer from Fujian who was in a serious condition and a four- year-old boy in Shandong. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=133302&sid=39586284&con_type=1&d_str=20130430&fc=2

Informed that the H7N9 epidemic risk is primarily attributable to the live bird markets

Beijing, April 29 (Reporter Gao Yun-cai) 29, the joint study group, the Department of Agriculture and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) informed the H7N9 outbreak investigated the case.Expedition expert, chief expert of the OIE animal disease prevention and control, Dr. Hamilton pointed out that the breeding farms is not detected Up to now, the H7N9 influenza virus infection of poultry farms is very low risk of human infection with the H7N9 risk from the live poultry market environment. http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2013/04-30/4777241.shtml

　According to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 29 (Reporter Dong Jun) - By the Ministry of Agriculture and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), a consortium of Expedition 29, said the consumption of cooked poultry and poultry products suitable for processing and cooking is safe, and There is no evidence that human consumption of poultry meat or eggs will be infected with avian influenza virus. http://www.bjd.com.cn/jryw/201304/30/t20130430_3741658.html

Border checks widen as avian ‘flu spreads south

Stephanie Lai | 29/04/2013

 Health Bureau and tourism sector in full-alert as H7N9 bird ‘flu reaches southern China

Thermal infrared detectors will begin operating this morning in all of Macau’s border crossings, the Health Bureau announced, as the first case of H7N9 bird ‘flu was detected in Fujian province.
So far there has been no confirmed case of H7N9 infection in the territory. The bureau said two suspected cases turned out to be negative.
Up to yesterday mainland China had registered 122 people infected with the H7N9 virus, 24 of which died. On Wednesday Taiwan also reported the first avian ‘flu infection case.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called on health officials and residents to remain vigilant against the bird ‘flu, as the number of infections rose over the weekend.
“We need to stay on high alert as this is a new virus, and we don’t have all the information,” Mr Li said yesterday during a visit to the mainland’s disease control agency in Beijing, according to a report posted on China National Radio’s website.
Over the weekend Jiangxi, Fujian and Hunan provinces have each reported their first case of the avian ‘flu.
Fujian is Macau’s second-largest visitor market in the mainland, accounting for 177,434 tourists in the first quarter.
Yesterday a chicken was found to be infected with a virus of the H7 strain in a Dongguan poultry wholesale market, Guangdong province, after a spot-check session.
The market was immediately ordered to suspend business and conduct a full-scale sanitisation.
Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau told Business Daily that it is closely checking the Dongguan case at the moment, even though Macau imports no poultry from the city.
Authorities are still trying to confirm if the chicken was infected with the H7N9 subtype, in what could be the first such case in neighbouring Guangdong province.

Soft impact

The city is expecting a larger flow of mainland tourists starting today as China enters the three-day May 1 vacation.
“For sure we will reinforce the cleaning and sanitising work inside hotels,” Chan Chi Kit, president of Macau Hoteliers & Innkeepers Association, told Business Daily.
“But we are not intending to set fever screening at hotel lobbies because immigration checkpoints are already doing it,” Mr Chan added.
“To add one extra fever sensor at the lobby would make visitors feel too tense.”
The authorities have asked the tourism and hotel sectors to remind visitors to keep good personal hygiene, noted Andy Wu Keng Kuong, president of the Macau Travel Industry Council.
“But it has not gotten to a point where mainland tour groups are giving the tourists sanitising hand gel, which was the case at the time of SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2002-2003],” Mr Wu told Business Daily.
Air Macau told Business Daily that it did not notice any impact from the outbreak on its bookings.
But it has affected mainland tour groups, Mr Wu said.
“There will be less tour groups travelling to Hong Kong and Macau during the Labour Day vacation,” he predicted.
The May 1 holidays is “the weakest golden week in the year,” says Mr Wu, mainly because it is shorter than the Lunar New Year or the National Day holidays.
Hotel room rates for the Labour Day vacation will be similar to a regular weekend rate, Mr Wu and Mr Chan said.
“Our occupancy has been doing pretty well in the previous weeks,” said Mr Chan. http://www.macaubusinessdaily.com/Society/Border-checks-widen-avian-%E2%80%98flu-spreads-south

Shandong H7N9 patients with sub-infection, experts say

2013 04 30, 04:27 

....After 20 days of treatment, we are still in the sputum of patients with lower respiratory tract fluid, positive detection of the H7N9 virus. Upper respiratory tract but he was soon no longer be detected viruses.

　　- Chinese Academy of Engineering Li Lanjuan

　　A latest research shows that H7N9 virus more susceptible to attack the lower respiratory tract, nose, throat and upper respiratory tract there is a time and a lower detection rate of

　　Beijing News News According to the website of the Health Department of Shandong Bulletin, the date of Shandong Province new case of human infection of H7N9 avian influenza confirmed cases: children Zhang, male, 4 years old, live in Zaozhuang City Central, whose father was the Shandong The province's first case of human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza confirmed cases. Up to now, Shandong Province reported a total of human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza confirmed cases of two cases. As of yesterday, 17, has been diagnosed 126 people, 24 people were killed, 14 were cured.

　　"At present, only from the point of view of clinical symptoms, father and son performance difference is obvious on avian flu 'person to person' there is no clear evidence to support." The provincial medical treatment team leader, Shandong Chest Hospital Dean high Professor Okawa, 29, said.

　　Children with the disease is still stable

　　According to the briefing, the 27 children with fever symptoms, 28 provincial-level expert group according to the results of laboratory tests and clinical manifestations and epidemiological investigation, the overall judgment that the human infection in children with confirmed cases of the H7N9 avian influenza. Currently, children with the disease is still stable, Zaozhuang City, a hospital for treatment. According to the initial findings and conclusion of the study at home and abroad, has not yet found evidence of infection.

　　Tall Chuan said, "The children are infected pediatric emergency room for treatment, children with the disease in stable condition, eating and sleeping is relatively normal, showing the local symptoms of pneumonia, but her condition is not severe but not critically ill, according to the incidence of and six hours after the beginning of the comparative diagnosis, the development of the children's condition and did not show the rapid deterioration trend. "

　　But the development of children with father's condition is unstable, on admission, no obvious pathological symptoms, but the hospital after 4 hours, the rapid development of the disease, the rate of deterioration soon. "Tall Chuan said the children's father after 7 days after emergency treatment, although not completely out of danger, but relatively stable vital signs.

　　Does not have the performance of human-to-human transmission

　　Tall Chuan, because the presence of a history of close contact, not directly related to exclude possible, but only from the point of view of symptoms, the gap between the two is obvious. The same time, on a time basis, the degree of association of the symptoms of the father and son do not have the "human-to-human transmission performance.

　　H7N9 avian influenza longest incubation period of seven days, the children in father hospitalized for 8 days, was found to have a fever, children diagnosed with the H7N9 avian influenza patients time the past 10 days. This case, the emergence of the cases of familial aggregation, does not mean that the virus H7N9 has mutated into a human influenza virus continued to spread from person to person. Currently, the state health department epidemiological investigation and laboratory tracking of all cases, it is still the main mode of transmission of infection from birds to people.... http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2013-04-30/042726989742.shtml

Epidemiological and risk analysis of the H7N9 subtype influenza outbreak in China at its early stage

ZHUANG QingYe 1†, WANG SuChun 1,2†, WU MeiLi 1,2†, LIU Shuo 1, JIANG WenMing 1, HOU GuangYu 1, LI JinPing 1, WANG KaiCheng 1, YU JianMin1, CHEN JiMing 1* & CHEN JiWang 3

1) China National Avian Influenza Professional Laboratory, China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao 266032, China; 2) China National Avian Influenza Professional Laboratory, China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao 266032, China; 3) The Institute for Personalized Respiratory Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA

Received April 11, 2013; accepted April 23, 2013


Dozens of human cases infected with H7N9 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) have been confirmed in China since March, 2013. Distribution data of sexes, ages, professions and regions of the cases were analyzed in this report. The results showed that the elderly cases, especially the male elderly, were significantly more than expected, which is different from human cases of H5N1 avian influenza and human cases of the pandemic H1N1 influenza. 

The outbreak was rated as a Grade III (severe) outbreak, and it would evolve into a Grade IV (very severe) outbreak soon, using a method reported previously. The H7N9 AIV will probably circulate in humans, birds and pigs for years. Moreover, with the driving force of natural selection, the virus will probably evolve into highly pathogenic AIV in birds, and into a deadly pandemic influenza virus in humans. 

Therefore, the H7N9 outbreak has been assumed severe, and it is likely to become very or extremely severe in the future, highlighting the emergent need of forceful scientific measures to eliminate any infected animal flocks. We also described two possible mild scenarios of the future evolution of the outbreak.
hattip Giuseppe Michieli at Flutrackers

http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11434-013-5880-5.pdf

Clues in H7N9 Influenza Genetic Sequences

April 29, 2013

Researchers quickly evaluated the genetic sequences of the novel H7N9 avian influenza virus that’s caused illness and death in China in recent weeks. The analysis provides clues to the virus’s origin, transmissibility and potential sensitivity to existing treatments.

Transmission electron micrograph of the new influenza A (H7N9) virus.Courtesy of Cynthia S. Goldsmith and Thomas Rowe, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Influenza, or flu, claims thousands of lives nationwide each year. Health experts have been particularly concerned about the threat posed by avian flu viruses. Influenza viruses constantly change, or mutate. Flu pandemics can arise when novel avian strains acquire 2 abilities—to infect humans and to spread easily between people. That’s why health experts keep a close watch on novel viruses.

On March 31, 2013, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese CDC) reported the first cases associated with the H7N9 influenza virus. As of April 21, 2013, 104 human infections had been confirmed, with 21 deaths. To date, the outbreak has been limited to eastern China, and there’s been no evidence of transmission between people.

A team of researchers set out to analyze the novel virus. They were led by Dr. Masato Tashiro of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan and Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Tokyo. The team studied the genetic sequences of viruses isolated from 4 of the earliest fatal cases. Sequences were provided by the Chinese CDC. The analysis was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Japanese organizations. Results appeared on April 11, 2013, in Eurosurveillance.

Influenza virus strains are classified and named based on the viral surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The combination of H7 HA and N9 NA has previously been seen only in birds. The scientists concluded that the novel strain likely got its surface protein genes from the H7N3 and H11N9 avian influenza strains. Other genes came from H9N2 influenza viruses recently circulating in poultry in China.

While H7N9 causes mild disease in birds, the analysis revealed mutations that may allow it to more efficiently cause disease in mammals. The HA sequences have mutations that have been shown to improve the virus’s ability to bind to human cells. The sequences also contain mutations associated with improved virus reproduction within human cells and with more severe disease in mammals.

The researchers found that the novel H7N9 viruses are likely to be treatable using NA inhibitors, a class of anti-influenza drugs that includes oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). However, the novel strain won’t likely be treatable with ion channel inhibitors, another major class of anti-influenza drugs.

“The H7N9 influenza virus is a new concern that the public health and scientific communities will continue to track closely, including watching for any genetic mutations that might enable the virus to become transmissible from person to person or to cause more severe disease,” says NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci. “Having rapid access to the viral genetic information is essential to understanding how the virus is evolving and ultimately to developing a candidate vaccine, if warranted.” 

http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/april2013/04292013H7N9.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#.UX6sFMdtgOU.twitter

Bird flu reappears in Jhapa

RSS BHADRAPUR, April 29: Bird flu has been confirmed in two poultry farms in Jhapa district. With this, 13 cases of bird flu have been detected in various parts of Jhapa district in the last two months.  The District Livestock Office, Bhadrapur, said that cases of the bird flu were confirmed in the chicken reared by Raju Bhudhathoki of Prithvinagar-5 and Subhash Khadka of Chandragadhi. A rapid response team culled 1,270 chicken from the poultry farm of Budhathoki while 151 chickens was destroyed from the poultry farm of Khadka, said Acting Chief of the Office Jagdish Pandey
Published on 2013-04-29 20:39:56 http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=53925

Dongguan Dongcheng three birds wholesale market poultry culling of nearly 90,000

http://www.dayoo.com/ Source: Nanfang Daily　 Reviews ( 0 )

Nanfang Daily News (Duan L) - Dongguan City Bureau of Agriculture informed that 19:00 to 2:00 today, Dongcheng three birds wholesale market poultry have been culled and harmless treatment 89864, harmless treatment of 15,387 kg of feed and eggs the market inside and outside the pig bed market environment and for culling operations supplies, appliances, vehicles thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. 27, detected by the provincial animal disease prevention and control center, the initial diagnosis Dongcheng three birds wholesale market a chicken samples for of suspected H7 subtype avian influenza virus infection positive. 28, Dongguan City Animal Health Authority transporting emergency supplies of gloves, protective clothing, sealed bags, medications, disease prevention, guidance and supervision throughout the culling and safe disposal work. Action from the end of the 28th afternoon at 2:00 on the 29th, 383 people were deployed in agriculture, public security and other emergency staff. Had been clear, Dongguan clear provincial and municipal standards and the principles of high compensation standards, including geese 15 yuan / only for poultry and 10 yuan http://news.dayoo.com/society/57401/201304/29/57401_110021989.htm

Taiwanese businessmen may have been infected playing golf

News of the H7N9 avian influenza: H7N9 patients suspected to play ball inadvertently contaminated with bird droppings and infection

0

Source: People's Daily  : Liu Dongmei 2013-04-29 22:21:37

See moreH7N9 avian influenza NewsThe, download Flush customers end

　　According to Taiwan's TVBS television reported, the 53-year-old businessman, suspected H7N9 infection picking up the ball to play golf, inadvertent inadvertently guano contamination ball with H7N9 virus infection.

　　The route of infection of H7N9 First confirmed case in Taiwan, it was revealed that this 53-year-old Taiwanese businessmen to return to Taiwan Although there is no contact with poultry record, but went to the mainland golf course, evaluated by the Disease Control Unit, the Taiwanese may be in the process of picking up the ball in play golf, inadvertently guano contamination golf of H7N9 virus, who were infected.http://field.10jqka.com.cn/20130429/c534356549.shtml

Damietta" Denying the Chinese bird flu outbreak maintain

Mon 29 / April / 2013 - 02:12 PM

Damietta free of bird flu - File photoShaima Ibrahim

 

Denied Dr. Hamdy Hawass, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Damietta, the existence of any new type of flu virus bird conservation. said he was "not the health of the rumors about the existence of a new type called avian influenza Chinese, "noting that the province of Damietta completely free of disease bird flu . It For his part, Dr. Hamid Zaqzouq, Under hospital fevers Damietta, to maintain completely free of disease bird flu , and said that "cases that have reached the hospital fevers Damietta, all of which were negative and non-carriers of the disease, did not witness this year, any outbreak of the disease so far. "http://www.vetogate.com/298090#.UX6HNrVwe8A

6 suspected bf in Egypt

الاتنين April 29, 2013 2:30:15 PM

Mansura Reem Habib: received Mansoura Chest Hospital 6 cases of suspected new bird flu from several different centers in Dakahlia Governorate, and has been isolated infected within the isolation room at the hospital, taking samples to be sent to the central laboratories to prove the presence of the disease and received the necessary treatment. were suspected in both of Mohamed El Sayed Mahmoud 30 years from the village of Albramn Center Mansoura, باشتباه bird flu temperature 39 and a half, and Maram Alaa two years and a half, and faith Mr. 25 years from the center of Dekernes, and Rowan Ramadan 3 years from the village of Kafr Arabs Talkha, Mohammed Kamal Siraj 29 years 

Belqas Center, Ibtisam lamp 35 years of Belqas center. 

http://elbashayeronline.com/news-261858.html

Hong Kong bird flu alert as tourists pour in

video

April 30, 2013 12:00AM

HONG Kong immigration and hospital officials are stepping up efforts to stop the spread of H7N9 bird flu, which surfaced outside China for the first time last week, as floods of mainland Chinese tourists descend on Hong Kong for the Labour Day holiday.

The government is deploying greater manpower at the border at the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen, one of the busiest border crossings in the world, to screen travellers for elevated body temperatures, and tour operators are being urged to monitor the condition of individual tourists.

Some 4.2 million people are expected to cross Hong Kong's borders during the holiday, which runs from April 27 to May 1, most crossing via Shenzhen.

On Friday, government officials grabbed mops and rubber gloves to help scrub down markets in the city as part of a three-day campaign to promote good hygiene. To control H7N9 outbreaks, the city had stepped up patrols in poultry markets, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam said.Hong Kong has long been ground zero in the fight against infectious disease. In 1997, after bird flu first jumped the species barrier, Hong Kong was the first city to be badly affected. The densely populated city was also ravaged by severe acute respiratory syndrome in the 2003 outbreak.

Although not nearly as contagious as SARS, in some ways the latest H7N9 outbreak was more worrisome than the H5N1 outbreak that started in 1997, said Malik Peiris, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong.

He said it appeared to be more easily contracted by humans when exposed to diseased birds.

Another challenge is containing the virus's spread among birds, which have no apparent symptoms, researchers say. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wall-street-journal/hong-kong-bird-flu-alert-as-tourists-pour-in/story-fnay3ubk-1226631836014

No need to ban Chinese tourists over H7N9: expert

2013/04/29 17:55:22

Taipei, April 29 (CNA) Taiwan does not need to ban Chinese tourists from visiting due to the H7N9 bird flu outbreak in China, as the World Trade Organization (WHO) has not recommended any travel restrictions over the virus, a local health expert said Monday.

Although the WHO said there is currently no evidence of H7N9 human-to-human transmission, Taiwan is still concerned that an anticipated influx of Chinese tourists in the coming week over the Labor Day holiday might impact Taiwan's H7N9 epidemic control and prevention work.

Based on International Health Regulations (IHR), the WHO has maintained its global advisory for combating the disease, urging against contact with live poultry but not recommending any restrictions against travel to China.

Under such circumstances, Ho Mei-shang, a research fellow at Academia Sinica's Institute of Biomedical Sciences, said there is no need to ban Chinese tourists from Taiwan.

Ho said that travel restrictions for Chinese tourists to the country could violate human rights.

Chou Jih-haw, deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health, called on guides and leaders of Chinese tour groups to dissuade their charges from visiting Taiwan if they are detected to have a fever before departing from China. He also suggested that their Taiwanese counterparts adopt the same measures.

However, Huang Li-min, head of National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital's division of pediatric infectious diseases, suggested that the government impose restrictions on individual Chinese tourists visiting the country.

Asked about who will pay for isolating foreign tourists discovered to have H7N9, CDC Director-General Chang Feng-yee said the fees are currently paid by the government, in accordance with the law.

Chang made the comments in the face of public concern that a sharply increasing number of Chinese tourists to Taiwan could cause significant spending increases in this area and pose difficulties in H7N9 epidemic control and prevention.  http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aall/201304290022.aspx

The Truth About Bird Flu Is We Don't Know the Truth — but It's Getting Worse

8:45 AM ET

:45 AM ET

The horror of the H7N9 strain of bird flu isn't just that it's deadly — it's killed at least 23 people, it's definitely chicken-to-human, it has a chance of "going human-to-human," and it might be on the move. Another grim reality is that China might not be telling everyone just how bad the disease has become, even as it becomes clear we don't know how to stop it: Following concerns about a SARS-like "cover up," China's Center of Disease Control has stopped publishing its figures in English, just as the first new case of H7N9 popped up in the massive Hunan province — and on the verge of mainland holiday exodus. Indeed, if Chinese health officials aren't being completely transparent about "the first truly urban influenza in history," it won't take long for the rest of the world to find out.

"The center has halted the publication of English-language figures about the spread of the disease since last Thursday," Forbes's Russell Flannery reported last night of the bizarre move by Beijing's CDC. "It didn't give a reason." Whether it's a clerical consideration or another sign of hesitance on communicating everything beyond Chinese borders, that H7N9 is lost in translation cannot hide that reports of human infection kept pouring in over the weekend — even if the total number of human cases remains confusing. According to Shanghai Daily, 115 people are infected, and 23 are dead.Forbes puts the total at 125. Other counts put the total at 121.

But those numbers may balloon as H7N9 makes its way beyond the mainland Saturday: "Hunan cases come a day after the eastern province of Fujian reported its first case and during the same week that a man in Taiwan become the first case of the flu outside mainland China," Reuters reports. Here's what the trail of those three main regions — Fujian, Jiangxi, and Hunan — looks like, with millions of human beings in between: 

Jiangxi, the province in the middle, reported its first suspected case on Thursday, Xinhua reported. Regardless of where the cases started, the disease has been spotted in both directions now. And on the horizon looms a gigantic mainland exodus. "Around 4.2 million people are expected to cross to Hong Kong from Shenzhen between April 27 and May 1 to celebrate the Labor Day holiday," reports Jake Maxwell Watts at Quartz, our sister publication. Hong Kong reported its first case earlier this month, but if you thought the first case in Taiwan was bad, 4.2 million people coming in from mainland is a lot of people, and it could mean a ripe opportunity for the disease to spread. 

Meanwhile, in the labs, precious little is known about the strain. There's the good news: "Chinese scientists confirmed on Thursday that chickens had transmitted the flu to humans," reported Reuters. But that still does not explain the cases where people who didn't come in contact with poultry still caught the disease. At Foreign Policy, Laurie Garrett points to trouble:

There is a missing link. For the new virus to have acquired these key mutations, it must be infecting a mammalian species of some kind, besides human beings. It had to have picked up those mutations inside a mammalian host. But to date no infected pigs or other mammals have been found, according to the Chinese CDC.

This is a mystery. And here is another: Nearly all known bird-to-human flu jumps have occurred in rural settings, unfolding on and around farms. But not this H7N9: This may well be the first truly urban influenza in history. No infected rural flocks or farmers have been found in China. This outbreak started in one of the most modern, densely populated metropolises in the world: Shanghai.

That (scary stuff) said, a visiting team from the World Health Organization insists there exists no hard evidence sustained human-to-human transmission, even if they did call it "one of the most lethal" flu viruses ever. "One of the things we need to be concerned about is this might gain the capability of going human-to-human which up to this point has not happened and is somewhat encouraging news," Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a top U.S. virologist, told the Agence France-Presse in an interview. "But we still need to be very prepared for the eventuality of that happening." http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/04/bird-flu-spread/64670/

Chinese visitors pour into Sri Lanka

(2 hrs 50 mins ago)

Sri Lanka is continuing to draw foreign visitors to its tropical shores with numbers increasing by 11.6 percent in February when compared with the same month in 2012 along with a marked increase in Chinese tourists, official data show.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority said today that 93,232 tourists arrived compared with 83,549 in February 2012, which is an 11.6 percent increase, Xinhua reports.
Arrivals recorded a 12.5 percent increase in the first two months of this year with numbers reaching 190,643. Chinese tourists recorded an impressive 89.1 percent increase in February 2013 when co..'
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=35496&icid=a&d_str=20130308