The H7N9 avian influenza virus is affecting more and more patients. This aggressive form of the virus is the subject of a sustained investigation by the World Health Organization.
H7N9 bird flu is starting to worryWorld Health Organization (WHO). In its update of January 16, the health agency adds 3 cases to the list of infections with the virus transmitted by birds in two patients.
The new patients with the H7N9 virus live in the coastal provinces of China (Zheijiang and Fujian). One is in serious condition, two in critical condition, according to reports from the Chinese Health and Family Planning Commission. The WHO specifies that to date, no human-to-human transmission has been detected. The cause of these infections is still under investigation. “Knowledge about the main reservoir of the virus, the extent and distribution of the virus in animals, remains limited,” recognizes the UN agency.
Until recently, the H7N9 avian virus had never been detected in humans. It circulates normally in the bird. But between 2003 and 2013, 648 confirmed cases emerged in humans, with extreme virulence. Almost 60% of patients died from the disease. Those who survive are severely affected. The WHO, in its report of December 20, underlines that sporadic infections are “possible” but the virus “does not seem to be easily transmitted between humans for the moment”. Continued vigilance will be maintained in China, where 5 groups of infections within the same family have been reported.
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