On May 9, 2015, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of China notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of six additional laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus, including two deaths.
Onset dates ranged from March 26, 2015 to April 12, 2015. Cases ranged in age from 3 to 67 years with a mean age of 36 years. Of these six cases, four (67 percent) were male. Four cases (67 percent) reported exposure to poultry related environment and two cases (33 percent) had unknown exposure. No clusters were reported. Cases were reported from five provinces and municipalities: Anhui (1), Fujian (1), Jiangsu (1), Shanghai (1), and Zhejiang (2).
The Chinese government has taken the following surveillance and control measures: Strengthen outbreak surveillance and situation analysis; reinforce case management and medical treatment; and onduct risk communication with the public and dissemination information.
WHO is assessing the epidemiological situation and conducting further risk assessment based on the latest information. Overall, the public health risk from avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses has not changed.
Comparing with previous two months, the infection case number is decreasing. Further sporadic human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) infection are expected in affected and possibly neighboring areas. Should human cases from affected areas travel internationally, their infection may be detected in another country during or after arrival. If this were to occur, community level spread is considered unlikely as the virus does not have the ability to transmit easily among humans.
Onset dates ranged from March 26, 2015 to April 12, 2015. Cases ranged in age from 3 to 67 years with a mean age of 36 years. Of these six cases, four (67 percent) were male. Four cases (67 percent) reported exposure to poultry related environment and two cases (33 percent) had unknown exposure. No clusters were reported. Cases were reported from five provinces and municipalities: Anhui (1), Fujian (1), Jiangsu (1), Shanghai (1), and Zhejiang (2).
The Chinese government has taken the following surveillance and control measures: Strengthen outbreak surveillance and situation analysis; reinforce case management and medical treatment; and onduct risk communication with the public and dissemination information.
WHO is assessing the epidemiological situation and conducting further risk assessment based on the latest information. Overall, the public health risk from avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses has not changed.
Comparing with previous two months, the infection case number is decreasing. Further sporadic human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) infection are expected in affected and possibly neighboring areas. Should human cases from affected areas travel internationally, their infection may be detected in another country during or after arrival. If this were to occur, community level spread is considered unlikely as the virus does not have the ability to transmit easily among humans.
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