Taiwan government says Taiwanese businessman in China infected with H7N9 - Jiangsu province - January 12, 2016

[Gert van der Hoek]

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Taiwanese businessman in China infected with H7N9

2016/01/12 20:48:37
Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) A Taiwanese businessman in China has been infected with H7N9 avian influenza virus, the third such case among that group of people, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed Tuesday.

The CDC said it had contacted Chinese health authorities to confirm the case, based on information received from the man's son.

The businessman's son alerted quarantine officials in Taiwan of the possible case after visiting his father in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, earlier this month, according to CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩).

Chou said it was son's second visit following one in December. On Jan. 5, the son was alerted that his father was seriously ill and went to China again but was unable to make contact because his father was in an intensive care unit in hospital, the CDC said.

The father, son, other family members and friends were tested in China on Jan. 5 and the son tested negative, while the father tested positive for the H7N9 virus, the CDC said, adding that the results became available Monday.

When the 26-year-old son returned to Taipei Songshan Airport on Jan. 8, his temperature was normal and he showed no signs of illness but he took the initiative to alert quarantine officials that he might have had contact with suspected H7N9 patients.

Quarantine officials decided that the risks of the man being infected with the avian flu virus were not high and they offered him health advice and suggested that he conduct health management at home.

The CDC, however, contacted its counterpart in China the same night to check whether the father was infected with the virus.

"The CDC wished to thank the man who was alert enough to inform us upon his return of his possible contact with the virus," Chou said.

He said the CDC will keep track of the health situation of the man and his father.

If necessary, he said, the CDC will send doctors to Kunshan to obtain information about the treatment of the businessman there and provide health advice to other Taiwanese in the area.

There have been 23 confirmed H7N9 cases in China since autumn 2015 -- 14 cases in Zhejiang province, three each in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, two in Shanghai, and one in Jiangxi. Most of the patients were over 50 years old and had been exposed to birds or poultry.

Since 2013, 700 cases of H7N9 have been reported worldwide -- 680 in China, 13 in Hong Kong, four in Taiwan (all imported), two in Canada and one in Malaysia.

[sharon sanders]

Taiwan government report...


Taiwan CDC commends suspected H7N9 influenza patient for voluntarily notifying quarantine officer at airport upon arrival( 2016-01-12 )


In the evening of January 8, 2016, a 26-year-old male who resides in northern Taiwan voluntarily notified the quarantine officer at Taipei Songshan Airport upon his arrival from Jiangsu Province, China despite his normal body temperature and without having any symptoms. However, he had come into a suspected H7N9 influenza patient during his trip to China. After initial assessment by the quarantine officer at the airport, his risk of becoming infected with the virus is deemed low. Therefore, the passenger was allowed to return home after given relevant health education and being asked to conduct self-health management. In the same evening, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) immediately contacted the relevant health authority in China to find out if any Taiwanese businessman in China had become infected with H7N9 influenza. As of now, the passenger has not experienced any symptoms and the Chinese health authority informed Taiwan CDC that the nasopharyngeal swab collected from the passenger in China tested negative for the H7N9 influenza virus.

Taiwan CDC appreciates the passenger?s vigilance and effort in voluntarily notifying the quarantine officer about his probable infection and complying with subsequent prevention measures and follow-up activities. As effective disease prevention and control require both government and public engagement efforts, Taiwan CDC urges the public to the passenger?s example and help ward off infectious diseases together.

According to the epidemiological investigation, the passenger visited his father who does business in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China in late December and he returned to Taiwan in the end of December. On January 5, when he was told that his father was severely ill, he visited China again. As his father was hospitalized in critical condition in the intensive care unit, he did not come into contact with his father. On January 5, besides the father, nasopharyngeal swabs were also collected from the passenger and a family friend who had previously come into contact with the father by the Chinese health authority. On January 11, the swabs came back negative for the H7N9 influenza virus. Only the father was tested positive for the virus. Taiwan CDC will continue to closely monitor the health of the passenger and his father. When necessary, Taiwan CDC will send a medical officer to Kunshan to better understand the father?s condition and conduct relevant health education to the Taiwanese businessmen and people living there.

Since October 1, 2015, a cumulative total of 23 H7N9 influenza infections, including 14 cases in Zhejiang Province, 3 cases in Guangdong Province, 3 cases in Jiangsu Province, 2 cases in Shanghai City, and 1 case in Jiangxi Province, have been confirmed in China. The majority of them are aged over 50 peasants and poultry workers and had a history of live poultry exposure. Since March 31, 2013, a cumulative total of 700 H7N9 influenza infections, including 275 deaths announced by WHO on December 14, 2015, have been confirmed in China (680), Hong Kong (13), Taiwan (4), Canada (2), and Malaysia (1). Currently, Taiwan CDC has issued a travel notice of Level 2: Alert for avian influenza to Zhejiang Province, Guangdong Province, Anhui Province, Hunan Province, Jiangxi Province, Jiangsu Province, and Shanghai City, and a travel notice of Level 1: Watch for avian influenza to the other provinces and cities in China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau.
Taiwan CDC advises travelers visiting China to practice good personal hygiene such as washing hands with soap and water frequently and putting on a mask when coughing and take preventive measures such as avoiding direct contact with poultry and birds or their droppings/dead bodies, and consuming only thoroughly cooked poultry and eggs to ward off avian influenza infection. If influenza-like illness symptoms develop upon arriving in Taiwan, please voluntarily notify the airline crew and the quarantine officer at the quarantine station in the airport. If the aforementioned symptoms such as fever and cough develop after returning to Taiwan, please put on a surgical mask and seek immediate medical attention. Moreover, please inform the physician of the recent travel and exposure history to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).

• Last modified at 2016-01-12
• Data from Division of Planning and Coordination

http://www.cdc.gov.tw/english/info.a...14F9C939A544CA

[Biological100]

Jiangsu, a Taiwanese infected with H7N9 died in mainland China , At 17:47 on January 19, 2016 Source: Hong Kong China News Agency
?@?@Newswire in Hong Kong January 19 Electric Taipei: Taiwan's Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 19th that the H7N9 influenza A infection in patients 56 years of Taiwan, on the 19th morning, unfortunately passed away in Jiangsu, which is since 2013, the mainland Taiwan Suppliers for the first three cases of infection H7N9, is the first case of deaths.
?@?@The 26-year-old son in Taiwan on January 8 in the evening, went to visit his father in Jiangsu, when the airport quarantine officers to return to Taiwan took the initiative to inform the finger, had contact with suspected H7N9 influenza patients. After illness tube Department survey found that 56-year-old Taiwanese was already diagnosed infection H7N9, serious condition in the intensive care unit of Jiangsu local treatment. 13 UNDCP disease prevention physician immediately dispatched to the mainland hospital to visit, but failed to parental visits to the name of Taiwan, 19, received a land party notice, the name Taiwan has died.
?@?@Deputy Director of the Department of illness tube ZHOU Zhi-hao said that this is the second since 2013, the first three in the land of Taiwanese infected with H7N9, many years ago, Guangdong Province, also reported two cases of infection, but the two returned to Taiwan after everyone is in the subject out, have switched recovered after treatment. As for timely notification of the 26-year-old son and his friends had contact with sick local Taiwanese, also on January 5 to accept the land and local health units collect the specimen, has been ruled out infection.
?@?@According to the Department of Statistics show that illness tube, H7N9 flu since 2013, about 702 cases diagnosed worldwide, there are 682 cases of mainland China, the mainland have been 25 cases of infection reported since autumn 2015.
?@?@The Programme disease called people to the mainland should be implemented hand-washing and other personal hygiene measures to avoid contact with live poultry birds classes and access to markets; edible chickens, ducks, geese and eggs to be cooked. Such as fever, cough and other flu-like symptoms return to Taiwan, should take the initiative to inform airline personnel and airport and port quarantine officers. (Finish)

http://www.hkcna.hk/content/2016/0119/426150.shtml

[Biological100]

H7N9 leads to the death of businessman in China, CNA, January 20, 2016, 12:00 am TWN
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A Taiwanese businessman in China died Tuesday [19-Jan-16] after being infected with H7N9 avian influenza virus, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that day, adding that the cause of death was not immediately clear
The man, who was receiving treatment in China's Jiangsu Province, was confirmed to have been infected with H7N9, making him the third such case among Taiwanese businessmen based in China since 2013, according to the CDC.
After learning of the case, the CDC sent doctors to Jiangsu to obtain information about the man's treatment and to provide health advice to other Taiwanese in the area.
The CDC was notified by the Chinese health authorities earlier Tuesday about the patient's death, said CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw at a news briefing.

The patient had been exposed to poultry at a market in Jiangsu prior to being infected, Chou added.
There have been 23 confirmed H7N9 cases in China since the autumn of 2015 — 14 cases in Zhejiang Province, three each in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, two in Shanghai, and one in Jiangxi. Most of the patients were over 50 years old and had been exposed to poultry or other birds.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/n...H7N9-leads.htm