H7N9 strikes again in eastern China, with another human case being reported in Zhejiang, according to Xinhua.
The infected individual is a 59-year-old woman from Gaoxin District, in Shaoxing, and she has been hospitalized as a result of the infection, according to the Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission.
The woman possibly contracted the disease after purchasing and slaughtering a hen from Dahutou Village, the commission suggests.
We know what you’re thinking, and no, this is not the same avian flu that killed a 26-year-old Shenzhen woman late last year – that was H5N6 bird flu. This all seem a bit confusing? Let us explain.
H7N9 (pictured below) is a subtype of the Avian Influenza A virus that had not been detected in people or animals until it was discovered in China in March 2013, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). H5N6 is also a subtype of the Avian Influenza A virus, meaning the two infections are closely related – albeit slightly different.
Much like subtype virus H5N6, H7N9 is believed to have a low risk of human-to-human transmission and infection is believed to come from contact with live poultry and contaminated environments, such as poultry markets.
According to a January 11 report by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, China had reported four H5N6 infections in the previous four weeks and nine cases of H7N9.
Numerous sources have noted that human avian flu cases may climb in the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year, a time when poultry purchases increase and illnesses have historically risen.
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[Cover image via Medical Daily, in-text image via the WHO]
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